I read a lot of books—some are good, some not so good, some by known authors, and some by people have never heard of. It can be a bit of a risk to try new authors, especially in one of my favorite genres, simply because I don’t want to ruin my enjoyment. But this book by Terri Wangard, third in a series but by an author I had not yet read, is good. Really good.
Any story is made or broken by the characters in it, and I rooted for these characters from the start. I was immediately a sucker for Chet when the guys on the train compared him to Bing Crosby after he sang along to White Christmas. His scars leave him a bit vulnerable during war time, but I love how he continues to rise above his past rather than let it embitter and cripple him. Carol is a strong heroine who is determined yet caring, who really ministers to these men fighting war. She tries desperately not to get swept up in a wartime romance because she’s seen the damage it can do firsthand, but Chet proves a challenge to that resolution.
This book does a good job of highlighting the human cost of war, the price paid by all those who served, be they mechanics, pilots, or Red Cross doughnut girls. There is a lot of wisdom here, too, about the human condition and the lengths we'll go to in order to protect ourselves and continue on with what must be done. But not everything is bleak: there are also many beautiful pictures of life continuing on despite the ravages of war, of the resilience of the human spirit and the comfort of God.
And underneath it all is a well-drawn setting that makes me feel as if I’m right there with the characters. The descriptions are detailed but not overwhelming, especially those involving the plane and navigation. Images of war torn France, of the people welcoming the Red Cross and giving them flowers, of the carnage left behind on the roads and beaches even weeks after the D-Day invasion, all combine to leave indelible impressions in my memory.
I highly recommend this book to fans of WWII fiction, male and female both, because there is a good mix of action, character devolpment, and romance—really something here for every reader. Impressed by this book, I will be checking out the first two books in the series and eagerly watching for the fourth book’s release.
I received a free copy of this book through Celebrate Lit but no compensation for this review. I was not required to write a favorable one and the opinions expressed are both honest and my own.