Out of Darkness Summary
Ashley Hope Pérez

Out of Darkness Overview

Ashley Perez's novel Out of Darkness is based around the historical event of a gas line explosion at New London school in 1937. The tragedy claims the lives of hundreds, including Cari Smith who leaves behind her twin Beto and her older sister Naomi. The story leading up to and after the explosion focuses on the suffering of those unable to protect themselves. Beto is the only member of his family to survive the explosion and the aftermath. Years pass before he is ready to write his story. The novel's main themes are the effects of guilt, social expectations, struggles of the working class, prejudice and segregation, and the effects of the past.