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The War Within
Growing up in Northern California during the Great Depression, John Thornton lives a simple yet contented life, despite being acquainted with loss at a young age. The summer before his twelfth birthday, he becomes smitten when a captivating older girl moves to town. But, when an unspeakable event turns John’s rural town upside down, he is left questioning not only his faith, but also what the future holds.
Years later, as the world is engulfed in the turmoil of the Second World War, John leaves behind everything he knows to train as an air gunner in the Army Air Forces. As he battles to understand his place within the war, and searches for answers to the devastation happening around him, John is forced to confront his past, his beliefs, and the depths of his resilience.
Years later, as the world is engulfed in the turmoil of the Second World War, John leaves behind everything he knows to train as an air gunner in the Army Air Forces. As he battles to understand his place within the war, and searches for answers to the devastation happening around him, John is forced to confront his past, his beliefs, and the depths of his resilience.
390 pages, Paperback
Published April 7, 2025
2 people are currently reading
47 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
August 21, 2025
The first thing that really struck me about this book was the style. It's a lyrical, memoir-style novel about a young boy who comes of age during the Depression and WWII. His journey parallels those two events, forcing him to figure out not only who he is, but what he believes.
July 1, 2025
Ciara Thorpe's debut novel provides a beautiful verisimilitude to life during the Great Depression and second World War. It's a coming-of-age (or more appropriately, a coming-of-faith) novel about John Thornton as he navigates prepubescence and early adulthood.
Immediate praise must be given for the author's writing style. Ciara has a poetic cadence, pumping each page with deep and expressive imagery. It's effortless for the reader to walk the quiet streets of Rattlesnake Creek or hop into the compact turret of a B-17 because of the rich text. Ciara also utilizes nuance that observant readers will appreciate. Conflicts aren't thrown in your face, but are true to life, where the real tension comes through the processing of events rather than the immediate living of them.
The second highlight and praise is for the research. As a historical fiction, the author clearly cares about getting things right. Readers and fact-checkers with a passion for historical accuracy will enjoy the flow and not getting hung up on the "that technology wasn't around during the 1930s/40s." Even the phrasing by soldiers during WWII or townspeople during the depression feels researched and authentic.
The first half of the novel, or John's first life period, reminded me of The Sandlot - friends growing up in an idyllic small town in California. Readers will especially cherish the first half if they grew up or have experienced life in a small town, where everyone knows your name and your business, for better or worse. It's easy to cheer for John in the pursuit of his first love, and the pain of the books second conflict lays heavy. The second half of the novel transitions John into war and the pains of true loss. I found myself enthralled through the war chapters and rooting for John to "figure things out" with his faith and his new love.
At its core, The War Within is a story about faith. Faith in love, in life, and in God. John's life, at least the snapshot of it, serves to ask and answer questions like: "Why does God allow bad things to happen," "Does faith only work during good times," and "Is it our circumstances, or our hearts that determine our prayers and their answers?" The most compelling and relatable motif is that faith feels easiest when the world hasn't darkened your door and beat the cynic into you. While not a religiously themed novel (spiritual would be more appropriate), those who have grown up strongly religious will connect to John's struggle to answer those questions. I'm happy to have read Ciara's debut, and look forward to the future stories she has to tell.
Immediate praise must be given for the author's writing style. Ciara has a poetic cadence, pumping each page with deep and expressive imagery. It's effortless for the reader to walk the quiet streets of Rattlesnake Creek or hop into the compact turret of a B-17 because of the rich text. Ciara also utilizes nuance that observant readers will appreciate. Conflicts aren't thrown in your face, but are true to life, where the real tension comes through the processing of events rather than the immediate living of them.
The second highlight and praise is for the research. As a historical fiction, the author clearly cares about getting things right. Readers and fact-checkers with a passion for historical accuracy will enjoy the flow and not getting hung up on the "that technology wasn't around during the 1930s/40s." Even the phrasing by soldiers during WWII or townspeople during the depression feels researched and authentic.
The first half of the novel, or John's first life period, reminded me of The Sandlot - friends growing up in an idyllic small town in California. Readers will especially cherish the first half if they grew up or have experienced life in a small town, where everyone knows your name and your business, for better or worse. It's easy to cheer for John in the pursuit of his first love, and the pain of the books second conflict lays heavy. The second half of the novel transitions John into war and the pains of true loss. I found myself enthralled through the war chapters and rooting for John to "figure things out" with his faith and his new love.
At its core, The War Within is a story about faith. Faith in love, in life, and in God. John's life, at least the snapshot of it, serves to ask and answer questions like: "Why does God allow bad things to happen," "Does faith only work during good times," and "Is it our circumstances, or our hearts that determine our prayers and their answers?" The most compelling and relatable motif is that faith feels easiest when the world hasn't darkened your door and beat the cynic into you. While not a religiously themed novel (spiritual would be more appropriate), those who have grown up strongly religious will connect to John's struggle to answer those questions. I'm happy to have read Ciara's debut, and look forward to the future stories she has to tell.
April 12, 2025
Obviously I'm biased, so feel free to disregard this if you're so inclined, but I loved this book. It's funny, heartbreaking, and well worth a read. John's childhood journey with his friends hit perfectly while fleshing out each unique character. I cared about his relationships and loved the slice-of-life vibe of that first half. As he gets older and WWII comes into the picture, things absolutely kick off. As his decisions started to stack up, I couldn't wait to see what he would ultimately choose. It's a winner from top to bottom.
January 3, 2026
I truly enjoyed this book.
Ciara does such a wonderful job painting the picture she wants you to see. Her descriptions helped me envision the world John lived in and left me feeling nostalgic for my own childhood and time with friends.
The story also speaks of loss which I share and even at times brought me to tears.
I hope everyone gets a chance to read this great book.
Ciara does such a wonderful job painting the picture she wants you to see. Her descriptions helped me envision the world John lived in and left me feeling nostalgic for my own childhood and time with friends.
The story also speaks of loss which I share and even at times brought me to tears.
I hope everyone gets a chance to read this great book.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews