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Never pretty
enough to please her gorgeous mother, Allie will do anything to gain her
approval--even marry a man she doesn't love. Lt. Walter Novak--fearless in the
cockpit but hopeless with women--takes his last furlough at home in California
before being shipped overseas. Walt and Allie meet at a wedding and their love
of music draws them together, prompting them to begin a correspondence that
will change their lives. As letters fly between Walt's muddy bomber base in
England and Allie's mansion in an orange grove, their friendship binds them together.
But can they untangle the secrets, commitments, and expectations that keep them
apart?
I have been a bit flighty when it comes
to books lately. I have read a few pages in one book before jumping to the next
book. This book grabbed my attention and didn’t let go until I read the last
page. I wished I could afford to go out and buy copies of all of Sundin’s
books.
This book will make my top 10 books of
the year list for sure. I thought it was going to be another sweet romance with
a little spiritual message. I was blown away by this story. Yes the romance was
wonderful, but it was dominated by the characters’ personal struggles, and
faith in God took center stage.
I was reminded in some aspects of this
story of one of my favorite writers of this era, Grace Livingston Hill. Sundin
so captured the time and the spirit of the people, I felt I was reading a book
by a contemporary of the times. She obviously researched this book, and it made
the book sparkle with authenticity.
Allie tore at my heart. She and I come
from opposite worlds. I have two loving parents who share my faith, she has two uncaring parents that sneer at her faith. Yet, I felt as if I was
riding the roller-coaster of emotions with her, struggling alongside her as she
warred within herself what she should do.
How can I even begin to describe my
love for Walt. We both come from strong believing families, and we both
struggle with some of the same problems. Walt was such an upstanding guy, yet
he has flaws. I do not think I have seen a character with so much integrity
written with such believable human failings as well as Sudin wrote Walt – not
in a very long time.
One of the other things I really
appreciated about this book was how it reflected the realities of World War II
without being too depressing. No one in the story comes through it unscathed.
Everyone loses someone they know, or knows someone who receives a life-altering
injury. Some people like to whitewash history, and everyone in their stories
come back healthy and whole. This book was more realistic, without leaving me
depressed.
I highly recommend this book to anyone
who likes amazing historical fiction, stories that build your faith, and tales
that compel you to keep reading.