Torches Together

Not many people talk about "joy" these days. Emmy Arnold's memoir radiates just that - an enthusiasm for life and an unflagging optimism grounded in faith. In a genre awash in sordid sex and dysfunctional relationships, she offers a refreshing account of a hard life lived victoriously, of people brought together, despite their own weakness and turbulent times, to experience new levels of freedom, trust, and unity. The setting is the tumultuous aftermath of World War I, when thousands of young Germans defied the social mores of their parents - and the constricting influence of the churches -…