The Innocents Within [Paperback]

Robert Daley (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Ballantine Books (1980)
• ASIN: B000N77VPC
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Message of Hope, November 21, 1999

By 

Timothy Mahin (Northeastern U.S.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Innocents Within: A Novel (Hardcover)

I found Robert Daley's "The Innocents Within" to be a fascinating look into a part of World War II that I had never read about before. We all know of the invasion of Normandy, the fall and liberation of Paris, the bitterness of the Nazi occupation of the country. But Mr. Daley's moving story about simple people preyed upon by war in a poor, little known, "unglamorous" part of France, was, for me, both interesting and powerful. In a time when moral decisions seem to be hedged or clouded, Mr. Daley's story of Pastor Andre Favert rings with a refreshing and reassuring clarity. The book's portrayal of a Protestant minister who saves the lives of thousands of Jews (and others), despite physical and spiritual trials, reveals a rare heroism, rarer still because it is paterned aftr a true story. Of course, like all strong books, "The Innocents Within" is made up of more than one story and it is the intertwining of these several threads that moves the book forward at a brisk pace. I found the rather improbable love story between the downed American pilot and the pastor's adopted Jewish daughter to be a touching counterpart to Nazi brutality and to the senseless repugnance of war. Despite the horrors, the cruelty, the poverty of place and time, Mr. Daley's message is still one of hope, personified by Andre Favert. For me, "The Innocents Within" is a "real book, adult in the best sense of the word and a rich, satisfying read.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Up all night!, November 3, 1999

By 

Ira Stone (USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Innocents Within: A Novel (Hardcover)

This book kept me up later than I wanted to be up. The blending of history and deeply evolved characters make for a worthwhile investment of precious time. I was interested to see the New York Times (Oct 29, 1999) interview with Mr. Daley which took place in the town where these brave people stood up for what was right. DON'T MISS THIS ONE-an excellent book!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Story Of Those-Behind-The-Lines In France WW2., January 18, 2001

By 

Joseph L Burke - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Innocents Within: A Novel (Mass Market Paperback)

A fascinating story of people trapped in Nazi occupied France in World War II. The author knows his subject, the terrain, the characters, and all the small details of the time and the situations described. The sole defect of this book is that the author tells his tale so straight and somehow at-a-distance that the author does not seem to care who wins or loses and thus, neither does the reader. The author also does unnecessay embellishment; for instance we read pages of background on a priest - a minor character who appears briefly - for no apparent reason. Robert Daley is a craftsman who does a good job of writing - but he neither varnishes nor polishes his work. Good while you read it, but soon forgotten when you put it down.