The Wait

by Lisa Kaye Presley

Lisa Kaye Presley’s debut novel The Wait is a powerful yet touching story of Bonnie McCaverty, a precocious little girl who never gave up on anything; not on a sickly calf or a stubborn pony and not on Calvin Wade. Since she was five years old, Bonnie always thought she would marry Calvin, but superstitions ran deep in those days, and Calvin’s mind was set on the fact that everyone he loves dies after a series of deaths plague his life. He feels the only way to keep Bonnie alive was to stay away from her. Feeling the need to separate herself from home in Smithville, Tennessee and Calvin Wade, Bonnie moves to Nashville where she volunteers for the Red Cross. She quickly learns that life on a farm is a far cry from the harshness of the city. Her heart would soon bear the scars to prove it. After Bonnie meets wealthy attorney, Ned Bass; she begins to believe that her love for Calvin was no more than a fond memory of her youth—a dream faded by reality. A dream, that is, until when volunteering for the Red Cross at Union Station, she sees Calvin—in uniform. While the two men fight their way across Europe, Calvin in the 30 th Infantry Division and Ned in the Eighth Army Air Corp, Bonnie has to decide exactly who it is she is waiting for. All the while Della Houston, the owner of Ned’s favorite saloon and his best friend, is doing some waiting of her own. The Wait is a novel of hope and patience in the face of drought and depression, superstitions of the time, and the burdens of a world war—a poignant story that reminds us that the important things in life are worth the wait. The Wait’s characters are as innocent as the folks from Sergeant Alvin York’s beloved Pall Mall, Tennessee, but its conflicts are as complex as From Here to Eternity or Pearl Harbor . The Wait will leave you longing for a slower, simpler time when family and country meant more than gaining wealth; when patriotism ran deep, and when some of the time, the only thing left to do was wait for your dreams to come true.

572 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 1, 2017

Reviews

[Kinsey Breland .: avid_midnight_reader :. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This love story between Bonnie and Calvin was so sweet and heartbreaking. The pair had so many ups and downs. Their first plight was the age gap. To Bonnie’s mother, it was simply a childhood crush that her daughter would outgrow, but that clearly was not the case. They were separated by superstition, pride, a war, an ocean, and strange lands before finally finding each other again. If Calvin wasn’t such a stubborn man, they could’ve started their lives together a lot sooner.

I didn’t like the other man that was in Bonnie’s life. Ned Bass seemed way too rash and bossy to me. He was too used to getting everything his way. He did seem to truly care for Bonnie, but the way he went about it made me antsy. He wouldn’t listen to her. Most of the time, whenever she would say one thing, Ned would turn around and do the opposite.

Bonnie is such an excitable and thoughtful character. The way she always jumped at the opportunity to help people, especially during the Great Depression and World War II, was so sweet.

I’m currently living in Tennessee, so the fact that this book takes place there; mostly in Nashville, was interesting to read about during this time period.

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

In The Wait, Ms. Presley has crafted a delightful tale of historic Nashville, Tennessee, in the era of World War II—bringing readers back to the days of Nashville’s downtown department stores, lunch counters, and Red Cross wartime volunteers.

The Wait tells the story of Bonnie McCaverty, a stubborn girl from a small town near Nashville, Tennessee. When the man she loves rejects her, Bonnie moves to Nashville to build a life that is nothing like the one she had always dreamed she would have.

Bonnie is a strong, self-reliant protagonist who captures the heart of everyone she meets in The Wait and will capture the heart of readers everywhere.

[Dana Stoneking · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this historical fiction about growing up, love, loss and war. Enjoyed "watching" Bonnie come into her own but never truly leaving home.