It Is Well

by James D. Shipman

Jonathan Beecher, a middle-aged widower and small-town store owner, has never asked for much. But lately, all too much is being asked of him. The bombing of Pearl Harbor plunges America into World War II and deeply fractures Jonathan’s own family. His eldest son, a civilian contractor, is trapped on a Japanese-occupied island in the Pacific. Jonathan’s feckless younger son ignores his father’s pleas to stay home and joins the army. And his bright, devoted daughter, who Jonathan hoped would go to college, elopes with a brutally abusive man instead.

Jonathan has always met adversity with quiet faith, but as his emotional and financial losses accumulate, so do his doubts. In the midst of his pain, Sarah, a widow herself, emerges as a kind, compelling friend. Powerfully drawn to Sarah, Jonathan struggles to remain true to his late wife.

James D. Shipman’s tender, wise novel examines the paradox of human suffering: how irrevocable loss, if we are willing to let it, begets spiritual gain.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, World War II, Christian Fiction, Ebooks, Amazon, Christian

11 pages, Audio CD

First published November 1, 2016

Reviews

[Hilary · Rating 2 out of 5]

Following the lives of a family in a small town through WWII, we see aspects of life as a storekeeper, a young woman, a civilian contractor and a new army recruit.

It wasn't particularly *bad*, but it also wasn't great. The historical facts were obviously researched and somewhat interesting, but there was no life in the story. The characters - with just a couple of minor exceptions - were cardboard cutouts. And Luke annoyed me no end, especially with his last prank. The writing style was a little simplistic, and there seemed to be a large plot thread just left hanging. (The implication of fraud when the books don't match up.) Finally, although the characters all "prayed" at various points and Jonathan regularly attends church, there's no evidence of a living faith.

It just missed the mark almost everywhere. Even when Matthew and Luke died, it was just so... nice (apologies to English teachers everywhere). It didn't feel final, or real. And then Sarah just caved too. But it was a good insomnia read, and I did learn about Wake Island. If you don't know much about the Pacific side of WWII, other than that Pearl Harbor happened, you might learn something new.

[Constantine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 4.0/5.0

The story follows the members of the Beecher family, Jonathan (a father who lost his wife to cancer), his two sons (Mathew & Luke) and daughter (Mary). The story is set during world war 2 times. Historically I find it to be very accurate. Through the whole book we follow each one of these characters, we see their vulnerabilities and worries. The characters are very well written and unique, you will not see any perfect character here, like us they are very human and have their strengths and weaknesses. Each one of them has his own challenges. Jonathan is working hard to keep his store and to keep his promise to his late wife not to marry again! Mathew tries his best to leave the town and be independent. Luke who loves fooling around joins the army when the war starts.

I read some of the reviews and many of them their excuse for a low rating was that the book was too religious for their taste. Honestly I don't understand this excuse. The book is about a religious family so it will be normal to see them representing their faith. This is like someone rating a book about vampires with a low rating because it has many vampires!! Anyhow I feel this book was very interesting, the stories of the characters were intriguing specially the one of Pearl Harbor.
If you like historical fiction then read it, you might love it too.

Note: I have won a free copy of this book by participating in GoodReads giveaway

[CLM · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wasted time

The separate family stories are never actually connected. The characters are all cardboard cutouts. Jonathon is a self-absorbed jerk, and the others are one-dimensional caricatures. Even his faith is cardboard. We are told that he attends church and prays, but neither of those activities are ever graced with any content. God seems to be a teacher with his ruler ever ready for an immediate crack across the knuckles and nothing more. The WWII facts were researched, but not given any real meaning. Aside from the war itself, there are only a handful of gratuitous nods to the era, studded among casual anachronisms and an amazing ignorance of wartime food rationing reflected in the detailed descriptions of meals. This book reads like the outline of something that might have been interesting.

[Nel · Rating 2 out of 5]

As a free Kindle First pick, I had high hopes that this would be an enthralling historical fiction novel. I was unaware that this would partially be a faith-based romance, and therefore, did not meet my expectations in the least. Perhaps I should have read the product description more in depth. The writing was rather bland and repetitive, and the progression quite frustrating.

I have little patience for people using the Bible as an excuse for unacceptable behavior such as domestic violence. The pastor remarked at one point, “I don’t condone divorce, sad to say, even in Mary’s case…” Mary was the victim of severe domestic violence, on more than one occasion. It is absurd to me, that anyone, especially a pastor, would ever admonish a lady for stepping away from such a toxic marriage. I almost put the book down at that point, though I’ve only ever left one novel unfinished in my life… so I trudged through. One of the other main story lines involved a “promise before God”, that was hurtful and imprudent as well.

Because of such nonsensical references, I almost rated the book with one star; however, I did appreciate the historical aspect of the novel. I enjoyed learning about the town of Snohomish, the 10th Armored Division, and the events that took place on Wake Island during WWII.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

..He asked a few of Luke’s friends, but nobody had seen him. For the next several hours Jonathan drove, stopping by houses and his son’s favorite places around Snohomish. Still no luck. There was a chance he might be out cavorting as he so often was, but Jonathan was sure this time that wasn’t true. Luke was gone. He had left for war.

The Japenense is fighting the Americans as a result of the war and Jonathan does not know how his life will turn out. Jonathan raised three children who all detered from the paths that he chose for them: Luke, Matthew and his daughter Mary. Matthew does not want to be anything like his father but prefers to do things on his own without his consent. Luke is the same way, rebellious in nature thinking that the only way he can escape his father is by doing things against his wishes. Yet he has Mary who is the dutiful daughter that loves him dearly and the apple of his eye. As the three of them take different paths, Jonathan worries about his faith and his personal happiness.

Jonathan is a man of faith that is fighting may demons after a loved one dies. The memory irks him constantly and he wonders if God has abandoned him in the midst of all the trials that he is going through. However, Jonathan has made a vow to God that he plans to keep, despite how unreasonable it is. The war continues to goes on leaving Jonathan stranded and hopeless thinking about all his past regrets and futue failures.

There is a light at the end of the tunnel so they say but Jonathan struggles to find hope but believes that he has faith in the midst of doubt, an unwavering savior that guides his every path.

This is by far one of the best historical fictions books I read. I absolutely loved Jonathan,he was such a fragile charcacter that had so much redemptive qualities. The love he had for his children was touching, you can tell that he will stop at nothing to keep them save. I also loved his children rebellious streaks, I can attest to thier behavior many times. The themes of this book ranged from hurt, anger, disappointment, etc . The language of this book is so luring, I was gluded reading the first page until I reached the conclusion.

I was a bittersweet ending but it did not contribute to the overall rating of this book.

Rich characterization, oustanding consistency and a thought provoking novel.

Highly recommended, I look forward to reading more books by Shipman.

[Tom · Rating 3 out of 5]

Historically accurate and written from the sentiment of the time period (WW2), when real men didn't talk about their feelings or cotton such mamby-pamby concepts like "calling the police," "taking out a loan" or "asking others for help." A real man solves his problems with the sweat of his brow, a prayer to God and his own two fists, by Jimminy! And maybe not in that order! And real woman's place is in the home, baking pot roast and apple pies with crust-leaf shapes on top - while waiting patiently in a crisply pressed dress for the man of the house to return!

Our hero is Jonathon, a small town hardware store owner with a stick-up-his-butt about a death-bed promise extracted by his bitter, cancer-stricken, harpy of a wife.... "No New Girlfriends!" she demands! And he stupidly makes God a signatory on this extracted promise. So now he's in a pickle when he meets a fragile/beautiful widow who makes terrific apple pies. She's got a gimpy hand (why?), a never-heard-from and rarely-seen young daughter (?) and a terrific crush on Jonathon. Why exactly? Who knows!

Anyway, the poor hardware guy hasn't been touched by a woman for about ten years and that damn God-Promise is a real cold-shower. Gah!

As if that wasn't enough, his hardware store is failing, he's got a headstrong young daughter who stupidly runs off and gets married to older local cop who turns out to be a psychotic wife-beater and two young sons caught up in the War on opposite fronts. One (Luke) is a prankster, floating through life, but signs up for the Army anyway. The other (Matthew), the "good" son, gets caught in the war unawares.

Mary... Luke... Matthew... Get it?

Oh and God is mentioned a lot... like two or three times on every page.

Like I said, the entire thing is written from an authentic 1940s sensibility. Not sure if that was an intentional device or not? It fits, either way. Zero non-white folks to be found here.. unless you count those "evil Jap bastards." And Jonathon confronts all problems with stubbornness and the chauvinistic belligerence reflective of the 1940s. Jonathon's friends and family think he's a super-duper guy despite all that (or maybe because of it?)

I had mixed feelings, but in the end, it was a fun read.

[Whistler's Mom · Rating 4 out of 5]

WWII: a time when the planet caught fire and God seemed to have turned his back on his children.

Today when disasters strike, religious extremists are quick to attribute them to God's wrath, directed at a secular people who've turned away from the Bible. But in December 1941, in the little town of Snohomish, Washington, the majority of the citizens were hard-working, pious, and patriotic. They prayed that the horrible war in Europe would spare them and their sons. Government officials were aware of the growing threat of the Japanese air force, but the attack on Pearl Harbor struck most Americans like a bolt of lightning.

Jonathan Beecher is devoted to his church, his family, and his community. He honors his commitments and keeps his word. A hard-working business owner, he takes pride in having supported his family even during the depths of the Great Depression. Now the economy is improving, but his family doesn't benefit.

His wife's death is a blow, but the rebelliousness of his sons and daughter is even harder to accept. He's a gentle man, but he believes that it's his responsibility to make the decisions for his family. His grown children don't agree.

While he's struggling with his headstrong off-spring, a new complication arises. A widow with a young daughter moves into town and he's attracted to her. She, too, has known sorrow and she understands his. Can they comfort each other or would that be a betrayal of their dead spouses?

Life goes on, even when a country is at war. But sons are taken away and put in danger and some never return. That shiny gold star to place in a front window is an "honor" that no family wants.

In the sense of wartime urgency, hasty marriages take place between young people who don't know much about each other. The results can be tragic and divorce isn't a easy option. The economy changes dramatically as industry gears up to produce airplanes and ships and tanks. Some businesses boom. Others fail.

What I know of American life during WWII comes from older relatives. My mother's first husband was serving in the Army Air Corps when his plane was shot down over Germany. He was officially declared dead a month after the birth of his daughter. My mother saved over 400 of his letters and she had 50 or so she wrote to him. There were heart-breaking letters to and from the wives and mothers of the flight crewmen. I read all of them and scanned them into my computer so that they could be shared with the family.

That experience gave me a fair grasp of what things were like at that time and I think this author has created a very plausible story line and authentic characters. I found a few anachronisms but he captures the flavor of a time when most Americans clung to a simple creed (faith, family, hard work) that had served them well for generations.

I have to believe that many of them were deeply shaken when a foreign war threatened everything they valued and loved and depended on. Like Jonathan, they must have felt that God had deserted them. Frankly, under those circumstances, only an idiot wouldn't question.

I enjoyed this book. The author writes well and he's created some nicely balanced characters. None of them is perfect, but with one exception they're decent and well-meaning. That doesn't mean they can't be mistaken or do harm to each other unintentionally. That's a given in human relationships anywhere at any time.

Sometimes the author belabors his points a bit and I would have edited out some of the details and cut it down 50-75 pages. But overall, it's a readable and frequently touching book.

Warning: the sons' war experiences are graphic and disturbing. You can skip those parts if you need to and stick to the gentler Home Front story without losing the thread.

[Melissa Menten · Rating 2 out of 5]

This story appears to be based on excellent research and is centered on a widowed father's struggles during World World II. He made a promise to his deceased wife not to remarry and is a good Christian who feels bound by his promise. His two sons are caught up in the war, one in the Pacific as a civilian contractor and the other in Europe when he joins up against his father's wishes. The daughter also goes against her father's wishes and marries a man who turns out to be abusive. The father's promise torments him when he meets Sarah, a widow he finds appealing.

Although I enjoy both historical and Christian fiction, the story fell flat for me for two reasons: there is a great deal of passive, "telling" and the characters always seem to make stupid decisions. The father and younger son, in particular, I frequently wanted to slap some sense into. Also, I don't think the ending was as polished as it could be.

[Vicki Whittiker · Rating 4 out of 5]

enjoyed but too religious

This book was well written until the end. It was way too religious throughout which I didn't notice in the description. The characters were well developed and the storyline was good. The last couple of chapters were sappy, not as well thought and the ending just didn't fit. It seemed as thought the author just threw it in to get the story done. That was odd

[Dorine]

I borrowed this or got it free from Prime. I tried, but it just doesn't hold my interest enough to pick it over the other Audibles I have in my TBR. DNF for now, so I'm not rating it based on 50% done.

[R.G. Phelps · Rating 5 out of 5]

Historical Fiction That You Can Enjoy Without Your Typical Smut

It Is Well, was definitely shown through James Shipman's story. Since I was so aware how it was in a small town during World War II, I could easily relate. James depicted the struggles our small towns USA had just gone through with the devastating depression, and the hard work everyone was forced to go through. Even with the massive changes because of World War II, individuals still struggled to cope with the shortages resulting in back breaking costs for goods and services. The lives of this family during this time were an example of what was happening across our country. I am not going to ruin the story for you by going into the details of what this family went through, but want to assure you that you will understand and enjoy the outcome (without the need for the smut and sexual interludes). Enjoy...

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

It will be ok in the end...

And if it isn't ok, it isn't the end. So the expression goes. 94% into the story and it didn't seem that anything was going to be ok. I suspect this story mirrored many of the times. A simple, hardworking man of strong faith is beset with one tragedy after another. Lost love, lost children, a lost business, a misplaced faith and temporary fall into a bottle, only to be redeemed by his courage and the generosity of neighbors. In the end, it wasn't great, but it was ok. So, it would be that it was well.

[Bonnye Reed · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a free electronic copy of this excellent WWII novel, featuring Snohomish, Washington, and Wake Island, US Territory as we follow the military and the civilian contractors who were working on Wake Island when it was overtaken by the Japanese, and their time of internment and forced labor prior to the end of WWII.

Through the eyes of young Snohomish construction worker Matthew Beecher, Shipman presents the undisputed happenings on Wake as the Japanese overwhelmed the small American Marine force there and captured the soldiers as well as the civilian contractors of Morrison-Knudsen who were on the island, building defenses to protect the base there, when the Japanese fleet took control of Wake Island. Based on the tragic happenings in that place, at that time, we see this seldom mentioned area of conflict that took a devastating toll on civilian Americans working in the Pacific. Morrison Knudsen was an American firm that built airfields, storage depots, and bases throughout the Pacific. They lost 1,200 workers when Midway and Wake Islands were overrun in late 1941.

Reviewed on February 24, 2021, at Goodreads, AmazonSmile, Barnes&Noble, and BookBub. Not available for review on Kobo or GooglePlay.

[Almira · Rating 4 out of 5]

Snohomish area author, James Shipman, has told a powerful story of war time (just before the beginning on WWII to the conclusion) in the town of Snohomish, Washington.

Jonathan Beecher, 50ish widower, father of 3, owner of the local hardware store, has his life turned upside down with the bombing of Pearl Harbor, his 2 sons caught up (in different ways and places) in the War, his daughter eloping with a local policeman, who is an abuser.

When his wife dies (before the book opens) she extracts a "death bed promise" from him to "never remarry" - what a faithful husband to abide by that promise - his faith and resolve are put into question when a lovely young widow, with daughter, move into the town.

There are many scenes in this book that might be disturbing for some readers - James Shipman has methodically and accurately portrayed the horrors of war, especially the brutality of the Japanese military, and what it would have been like to have been in a Sherman tank.

[brenda minnis · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is always room for growth

There are few authors that can spellbinding a reader with hope. Hope, that thing that makes life worth living. Shipman writes about a small town effected by WWII. He writes about the hope of father's for their children, the struggle to accept the list of a wife, child and a shaking of a father's faith. The ending is a surprise.

[Susan Berger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely

Great story that has lots of honesty throughout. Worthy of a read. Not a fan of the religious sermons. Regardless, well written.

[Cynthia Herron · Rating 4 out of 5]

It Is Well drew me past the confines of my preferred reading genre while underscoring the fact that a great story will always make readers turn pages. I was so totally immersed in this story and invested in these characters that I wanted to find out what happened next.

To be honest, the romantic thread drew me to read this novel, but the historical aspects - as well as each character's underlying motivations - hooked me and reeled me in.

I enjoyed the faith element, as well, though, some sensitive readers may find some of the (realistic) language problematic. Though this novel is set during the WWII era, I, personally, found the author's approach representative of the questions and quandaries that we, as Christians, deal with in today's world.

I'm so glad I read this novel!

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

It Is Well: A Novel by [Shipman, James D.]
I was given this book by NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

This book is set before and during WWII. Jonathan Beecher lives in a small town. He is a widower and a store owner. When Pearl Harbor is attacked, his family is divided. His older son is trapped in the Pacific, on a Japanese occupied island. His younger son joins the army, against Jonathan's wishes and his daughter married an abusive man.

Soon his life intersects with Sarah, a widow. He wishes to remain true to his late wife but yet he seems to be drawn to Sarah.

This book is so well written. I would catch my heart tear and swell throughout the story. This can be a difficult time to write about, but the author uses Jonathan's voice to tell the story well. Quite a reminder of this time in history. It will be a book I will turn to repeatedly.

[Shelley]

Author's guest post at my blog:
https://bookfare.blogspot.com/2019/09...

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just OK. Tale of a small-town man during WWII, and the choices he makes and has taken from him. Most of the way through, the story seems like nothing will go right for him - reminds me of Job in that he keeps plugging away in faith. But, sometimes things just never do go the way we would have them go. Minimal character development, all fell flat for me. I do think it appears to have been well researched, so there is some interest around the developments of the war. Meh.

[Ana · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good read. Definitely it kept me engaged throughout. This is a story of a family man who has a hardware store and is struggling to keep his store open and his family intact. He is a widower, a devout christian man with a young daughter and two grown sons. This intersects with World War II and it is historical fiction, one of my favorite genres. This book caught my attention because it has the same title as an old hymn, It is Well with my Soul. After finishing it, I realize that yes it can connect to the old hymn in that despite all his struggles and losses, in the end it is well with his soul. At times the story felt a bit slow but then it picked up once the first son Matthew was on Wake Island and the Bombing of Hawaii took place. I enjoyed the way the author described the characters, they were very much like real people, Luke and his immaturity and selfishness; Matthew also had some insecurities perhaps this is why his two boys left they had to get away from his father who wanted them to stay and keep up the hardware store. Only Mary remains and we soon find out that his wife, I believe named Helen was not a very good person. She made him make a death bed promise that would cause a great deal of struggles for dear Jonathan. Its a great read as I said in the beginning and I would recommend it. I enjoyed the descriptions of the characters and the different character types. I highly recommend it.

[Sharon Paavola · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do you know anyone who thinks they can control their lives, keep bad things from happening, and sacrifices all to that end? Well, Jonathan Beecher is one of those who has already met with loss and misfortune but thinks he can prevent tragedy from striking again. He lives in a small town and owns a hardware store. Pearl Harbor has recently occurred and the United States has jumped into World War II. His wife has passed away yet he seems to have moved on with his life and now surrounds himself with his two sons and daughter. He hopes to keep them close by to work with him in his store.
Quite suddenly all his plans are disrupted by the decisions his children make with their own lives. He finds himself unable to maintain control over them as they each leave him alone. What life lessons will he learn from their choices, the world changing around him, and a relationship with a new woman he meets at church? His mental anguish, loyalty to his dead wife, and determination to sustain his hardware store may push him over the edge. What will he discover about himself that could be helpful to you? Do his grown children owe him their allegiance in a time of war? Read this book and find out if Jonathan can say “It is Well”.
I received a copy of this book by James Shipman from NetGalley for my honest review which I have given here.

[Acor Family · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nice story with historical details

Thank you Mr. James Shipman for writing such a book. More than the history, I enjoyed reading about Jonathan's struggles, always wanting to please the Lord. Yes, he continued in the Faith, but sadly misplaced his faith, himself. We never see success if we constantly try to make it on our own. To Go be the glory. He offers and gives us full grace and mercy!

[Olivia]

World War 2 is one of my favorite era to read about so I was excited to start reading this. Unfortunately, I didn't finish it for a couple reasons:

-I couldn't get into it.
-Especially because it was under the Christian fiction genre I was disappointed when there were a couple swear words.

*I receved this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

[Josephine M Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

All Is Well.

I lived in Snohomish for awhile when I was young, and grew up in Everett, so this made this more interesting to me. I well remember the war, the blackout curtains and the search lights at night. It was a disturbing time for certain. War is horrible. It is sad we don't seem to learn anything from the past. This was a sad book in many ways, but I enjoyed it.

[radchick in Hercules · Rating 5 out of 5]

How World WarII changed people's life

A wonderful story! Extremely touching. Written with the history of WWII playing out in the background. Jonathan has known heart break...and sadness, but there is more to come...How does one ever again find happiness?

[Kathleen Glickman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love historical fiction

This is one of the best novels I have read in a long time. James helped you to understand the awful ordeal of WWII in Europe, the Pacific and in small towns of the US. Also you got to know the unique personality of each character.

[Vickie · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is well

This book was a history lesson, moving survival story, a quite love story, and family issues. There were some sad parts, true parts, and hopeful parts. The story drew me into their lives.

[Mary D. Kredensor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written

Excellent read! I appreciate historical information and stories about WWII. This was an intense enjoyable novel. It was well written!

[Linda Rogers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Choices have consequences! Throughout life we make many choices, some good and some not so, some have lasting consequences and some have immediate consequences. In this book that covers the period of WWII, we follow the choices made by one family in particular. The main setting is small town America during the early 1049's. Jonathan Beecher is the head of the family, a widower who owns the town's hardware store. He is honest, hardworking, a Church-going man with a strong devotion to God and his family, yet what he wants for his children is not what they want and each of them defy him in their own way. He is loyal, sometimes to a fault, who made a promise to is late wife that he would never remarry. This promise, almost destroys him in several ways. The oldest son, Matthew left town because of his mother, not his dad and ends up as a civilian construction worker on Wake Island with all of the atrocities that went on during the way. The younger son, Luke, a boy everyone loves, his mother's favorite, has lots of friends and gets into lots of trouble, both during nigh school and in the Army. He make some poor choices serving in the Army, but in the end he makes the right ones, but is killed in Europe. The only girl and the youngest, elopes with a man who is a police officer (Robert) during her last year of high school. Within a few months, he is physically abusive and she gets a divorce. At that time divorce was forbidden, yet she returns to her dad and works for him. Some of her friends continue to be her friend and eventually she marries one of them, who is 4F and is attending the university. At the story's end, she is working, pregnant and is taking some college classes at a Junior College, all things her dad wanted for her. Jonathan, who has always paid cash for everything, is about to lose his store because of the war and the fact that he had to get a loan from his landlord. Feeling defeated, Jonathan, a man who does not drink, starts drinking, is told his son Luke has been killed in the war, gets drunk, then tries to tell the love of his life that he made the wrong the wrong choice a year earlier when he told her that they could only be friends, gets really sick and passes out and her house, she calls his friend who is the Pastor of is church, who gets him home and stays with him and has a long talk with about his late wife, his children and the woman he loves. After sleeping in off, he cleans himself up and tries again to talk to Sarah, but she sends him away. He goes home, unlocks his door, only to find his former son-in-law is in his house and is demanding to see "his wife". Jonathan tries to tell him that he has been divorced for six months and that he has no right to Mary, who comes home. Robert has his service pistol and protecting Mary, Jonathon knocks Robert out, but he is shot in the stomach. He wakes five days later in the hospital, with his pastor at his side who tells him that his friends have paid off his debt with some left over. Sarah comes in, they get back together and the book ends with their wedding. An interesting addition to the book was the accurate information about WWII in Europe and Wake Island. It is a very interesting read and one that makes the reader evaluate the choices they have make in their own lives.