A Distant Melody

Wings of Glory #1

by Sarah Sundin

Will a chance meeting in a time of war change her life forever?

Never pretty enough to please her gorgeous mother, Allie will do anything to gain her approval - even marry a man she doesn't love. While Allie has nearly resigned herself to that fate, 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 and 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?

Book 1 in the Wings of Glory series, A Distant Melody is an exciting and tender story of love, courage, and sacrifice during World War II.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Christian Fiction, Romance, Christian, Historical, Fiction, World War II

422 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2010

About the author

Sarah Sundin enjoys writing about the drama and romance of the World War II era. She is the bestselling author of Mists over the Channel Islands (coming February 2026) Midnight on the Scottish Shore (2025), and Embers in the London Sky (2024). Her novels have received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, and Booklist. Until Leaves Fall in Paris received the 2022 Christy Award, The Sky Above Us won the 2020 Carol Award, The Sound of Light was a finalist for both the Christy Award and the Carol Award, and When Twilight Breaks and The Land Beneath Us were Christy Award finalists.

A mother of three, Sundin lives in Southern California and teaches Sunday school. She enjoys speaking to community, church, and writers' groups. Sarah serves as co-director of the West Coast Christian Writers Conference.

Reviews

[Jocelyn Green · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite novels ever. Here’s what I liked about it:
■It’s a love story, but it’s not sicky-sweet.
■It’s set during World War 2, so I think military wives/girlfriends of any generation will be able to relate to some part of the heroine’s journey
■It’s very thoroughly researched. I was so impressed with the level of detail in the descriptions of the Flying Fortress (B-17s), as well as life back home in California during the war. But don’t worry, it’s not dull, it’s fascinating.
■The characters grow and develop throughout the book- they are not flat characters by any stretch. They experience tough times and they make a few poor decisions, so they are fallable, approachable, and easy to relate to. But they’re also very, very loveable!
■The dialogue is perhaps the best I’ve ever read in a love story. It’s not cheesy. It’s actually witty, realistic and interesting. Every line mattered. (You can’t say that about every novel!)
■There is resolution at the end of the book. I was afraid there wouldn’t be when I noticed this is the first in a series. I was worried I’d get to the end and still be left hanging. But thankfully, the reader is definitely rewarded for getting to the last page, but there is much more story to be told, so I’m looking forward to the sequel!

[Kellyn Roth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read Second Time:
JUST AS GOOD AS BEFORE! Allie + Walt = <3 And I'm reading it knowing about *coughs* certain characters *coughs* and it makes it sooo much better and the message and the history and the era ... AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!

Even more creeped out by Baxter, though. *shivers* Creepy, scary, awful guy ...

Read First Time:

Simply fantastic story. I can’t get over it. I just loved it to death. Now, time to explain why A Distant Melody is now among my favorite novels ever. Not that I’ll be able to describe it in words, of course. You’ll just have to read the book and join my shrill fangirl shrieking. *dances happily*

Now, I just expected to read another sweet, light historical romance with a tiny bit of Christian faith. Was I ever surprised! The Christian message is strong! REALLY strong. Yet it’s not preachy. It’s amazing. Sundin didn’t bleach the truth; she handled it straightforwardly, never wincing at the way things are.

The romance … adorable. I loved how, although Walt and Allie were physically attracted to each other (healthily; more on that later), neither of them were described as handsome/beautiful. Quite interesting. They really had a solid friendship before they moved on to romance. They depended on each other, they knew each other, they were awesome together … *grins* I’m just so happy thinking about this book right now.

Before I go any farther, a bit about the content:

I felt like I had to content-rate this 3/5 although it just didn’t feel unclean! It was a very sweet book, and everything that was wrong (even little white lies/not telling the whole true being a lie) was dealt with exactly as it should be, and wow! Just wow.

Walt was attracted to Allie (and visa-versa, I think; I don’t remember exactly), but he wasn’t gawking at her all the time; he was healthily attracted to her, I’d say. That’s really the first time I’ve seen that in a book. I was like, “Wow … that’s cool!” A few kisses, but nothing that made me squirm.

Also, there’s some gossip about Baxter (that he might be homosexual) that is never exactly disproved, though Allie is sure it’s not true; it’s just gossip. No language. Some violence; nothing really graphic, but it might disturb the weak-hearted. It’s war, guys. People die. Get over it.

Back to the actual story.

Time to talk about characters. You know how I feel about characters, guys. I love ’em. I adore ’em. But I rarely find characters that satisfy my needs! These guys did. Walt, Allie, Frank, and every other character in this book was amazing. They were very real people, none of them completely perfect, none of them (except Baxter, maybe) completely evil.

I especially felt bad for Allie. I think it’s best if you read this book not knowing a ton about it (it’s one of those books that unfolds best if you don’t know a ton about it when you start reading), but I emphasized with her every step of the way.

And Walt … I don’t really have a problem with lying (not even “little white” ones) … but this still touched me. I do stretch the truth sometimes, I guess, come to think of it, but I’m a storyteller. What do you expect?

And there I am making excuses for myself again.

More than anything, this is a story of character growth – growth in personality, growth toward God, etc. Not that the romance wasn’t fantastic … but the character growth was the coolest part.

If you don’t like character-based stories, you’re an idiot that’s okay. This is a fantastic adventure story. We spend a lot of time in England, flying over France, almost dying, etc. I was so proud of knowing a bit about bombers due to a story my friend wrote. I was all like, “I don’t need to read this paragraph describing the plane! I already know what it looks like! HA!!!”

Overall, I would recommend this book to any teen/adult who loves WW2, romance, adventure, the ’40s in general (research for both the ’40s as an era and WW2 was amazing, by the way! Sundin captured the ’40s!), bombers, action, a strong Christian message (that will change the way you think), touching stories, occasionally funny stories, sweet stories, or just trusts me to know a good book when I read it!

Originally posted on my blog, Reveries Reviews

~Kellyn Roth, Reveries Reviews

[Jerry (Rebel With a Massive Media Library) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Quickie Review

A woman in the 1940's is about to be forced into a marriage to a man she doesn't love...when she meets an Air Force pilot who she knows is her soulmate.  Her parents are very unhappy when she announces her true love, and threaten to forsake her if she doesn't marry the guy they want her to.  Will true love win out, or will she be unhappily married? A captivating story, great writing, and a bit of fun along with the romantic historical drama.  I loved it, and am very glad I have the sequel on hand.



Score: 4.5/5

[Belinda · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,75 stars - English Ebook -
- antisipation trillend a song in her heart, but the tune felt thin, a single line of melody with no harmony to make it sonate.-
Two people meet at a wedding. Their world could not be more apart. They fall in love but she is going to get married to someone else and he is of to war. How will this end?
I loved this read. It took me to a time where it counted what you say and do. Honnor and love. A good combi for me.
- Nah. Gotta get used to the could. B-17s fly at over Twente thousand feet. Minus Twenty degrees up there, sometimes colder.- 🌺🦋🌺

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

California & England, 1942

I would have given this book an unhesitant 5 star rating if it hadn't been for the extremely frustrating, incredibly maddening last quarter of the story, which left me annoyed and rolling my eyes and very disappointed to have such a beautiful book slightly marred by miscommunication problems and childishness.

But aside from that I loved this book to pieces, it was charming and romantic, I loved all the '40s references and Allie's clothing (I am definitely making that dress with the appliquéd lily going up the side and blooming near the shoulder! Sounds sooooo pretty!!). The battle parts were also very exciting, since the hero was a B-17 pilot, and I was kept on the edge of my seat during all the air battles, and it was incredibly suspenseful and just plain cool! Everything was described so well it was like watching a movie!

Buddy-read with Maria :D

[Aerykah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this is my favorite book by Sarah Sundin so far. I laughed, I cried, I sighed in delight, and groaned in frustration... This author really likes to engage the reader's emotions!

The story really pulled me in and I loved it from start to finish. I especially enjoyed getting to see the stateside pov as well as the overseas pov. It was quite interesting. The journeys of both Walt and Allie were very difficult at times and I liked seeing them grow and change, maturing into better people through the story.

I can't wait to pick up the next book and read more about Walt's brothers-- I have a feeling I'm gonna love them! ;)

[Hanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I began this book, I thought it might get three stars. Halfway through, it got bumped up to four. That's why you read the whole book- it was definitely a five-star book for me.

I had two (minor) complaints: the beginning and the end. The beginning felt too modern for me, with the talk of boyfriends, attraction, etc. I'm not sure why, but it lost that feel quickly. Then there was the end. It was fine, but a little cliché and unrealistic. I don't know how often people jump of trains, but it's pretty stupid and dangerous. But, it made me not put down the book, so I guess it was success...?

Thing I liked: everything? Okay, I'll be more specific, starting with Walt. First, Walt is an engineer. That's great, since (mechanical) engineers are the best. He had a great balance of teasing and seriousness- I think many authors think that to be funny, their heroes need to turn every serious situation into a laughing one. It was easy not to do that, because his and Allie's main communication was through letters. Then, after Frank died, when Walt went away by himself, that's when I cried. A book that makes me cry usually deserves five stars. (especially when it makes me cry twice- more on the second later) The description at the end of that chapter really touched me. Peace like a river... Nevertheless, there were a couple times when I wanted to smack him. Like, WHY WOULD YOU THROW AWAY THAT LETTER?!?! And, do you really think God would want you to tell someone a huge lie like that? Get real!! He asks God for help a lot, but that particular instance, he didn't.

Then Allie. I admire her, because she had dreams of Walt and prayed for him. I want to have dreams of someone every time I need to pray for him. It was so sweet that she would pray for him, even when he was a jerk. I liked how she handled Baxter. She prayed about what to do, but honestly didn't know, until God said, "Don't marry this jerk!" through Baxter. I wanted to smack Allie a few times, though. Especially when she won't forgive Walt. I mean, the best man in your whole world has his head down, because he's really depressed, and you won't forgive him? Even if he deserves it? And especially if he knows he deserves it? (And yes, when Walt was sitting on the bench with his head bowed, I cried for the second time) I must end this paragraph with another minor complaint(because that's what I do): 'Allie Miller' looks too much like 'Archie Miller', and she isn't anything like the Indiana basketball coach.

I also really liked the setting and time period. Although this is the 40's, I remembered that these people grew up in the 30's (my decade). So of course Walt would say "swell" and make his friends mad using relationship drama.

I can't write a review without talking about Baxter. I didn't like him, but Walt sums him up well: "He's the foppiest fop."

The main reason I liked this book so much was how it touched me personally. Allie faithfully prayed for someone who wasn't around, and who she thought would never see again. That encouraged me.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

A chance encounter during her best friend’s wedding is sufficient to revolutionize Allie Miller’s life. Why does she have a feeling that the charming pilot Walter Novak is able to understand her more than anyone else in the world? What would her boyfriend think if he knew that she feels something special for this young man that she has known only for some days? Accepting to write him some letters to cheer him up during the war may be the worst decision of her life. Or maybe the best?

Sarah Sundin’s characters have something special that let the readers empathize with their lives. Sometimes we agree with their thoughts, sometimes with their choices and actions, other times we share their beliefs. This is enough to make us feel close to fictional people that -maybe- are completely different from us. Personally, it happened with each book I have read so far by her (With Every Letter, On Distant Shores, In Perfect Time) and “A Distant Melody” is not an exception.

Walt and Allie are adorable! In the first chapters the author describes how they meet, how their friendship begins and the natural attraction that both show for each other. Just a few pages were enough for me to fall in love with their story! Over a span of a week both find themselves feeling some emotions they never would have expected, and both find in the other person a trusted friend that perfectly knows the fears and wishes of the other one because everything in their lives seems to correspond like the pieces of a puzzle. I would have preferred that they speak more openly towards the end of the book (there are misunderstandings galore!) but despite this, I think they are one of the sweetest couples I have ever met.

One of the aspects I love the most in Sundin’s prose is her ability to write romantic scenes that, far from being sappy and silly, go straight to the heart of those who read and they find themselves sighing like fools because of the characters’ experiences and the words they exchange.

Instead, I found that the war descriptions were occasionally a little heavy and, if on one hand they were useful to make me understand what happened during a fighting with military aircraft, on the other they bored me a bit. I was more interested in seeing if Allie and Walt could overcome their problems. Yes, my romantic side prevailed over the one usually fascinated by history! :P

“A Distant Melody” is a touching book that contains an important religious message. It is an exciting novel that narrates a very sad time period of our history but that becomes lighter thanks to the descriptions of some young couples’ feelings. I cannot wait to read the other Novak brothers’ stories!

*Buddy read with Anne! Thank you, darling! ;)

[Jayna Baas · Rating 2 out of 5]

I know I'm in the extreme minority in that I didn't particularly enjoy this book. I've heard great things about Sarah Sundin, and I wanted to like it. I did enjoy the first few chapters, as Walt and Allie met. From there on, the plot seemed…trite. Much of the romantic tension seemed based on misunderstanding and lack of communication, and I nearly rolled my eyes at a few rather cliché developments. I liked the themes of telling the truth and obeying God, and I admired Allie's courage in choosing to obey God rather than man, but her attitude toward her parents had too little emphasis on "I'm doing this out of obedience to God" and too much emphasis on "I'm an adult and you can't tell me what to do." Add to that the nasty, perverted rumors about her fiancé—I do not want to encounter that type of thing in Christian fiction. I did love the scenes with Walt as a fighter pilot. The research felt deep and the fight scenes came to life. In fact, I liked most of Walt's scenes. He and Allie were both good characters. The story in which they found themselves just wasn't for me. (I have to be honest after reading this book!)

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

2024 reread:
Well, would you look at that? Revisiting a novel almost exactly ten years after the first time I read it. I didn't intend it that way, but it's how it happened.
If anything, I loved this novel even more the second time around. I found it's focus on the importance of telling the truth and obeying God a wonderful reminder. This book reminded me of why I fell in love with Sarah Sundin's work. Since the last couple I read by her were a little disappointing I thought maybe I just remembered her older work incorrectly. But no, here were the strong faith elements that made me adore the books. I'll probably end of rereading this whole trilogy again now that I've started.

2014 review:
Age Appropriate For: 13 and up for romance and violence
Best for Ages: 15 and up

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 parents 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.

[T · Rating 4 out of 5]

*sigh* so so so sweet.

The Good

Plot

I've seen a lot of reviews for this book, and they were all glowing, so I went in with high expectations, and this book certainly met them. Plot-wise, the book was really good, and there was a lot of action to keep me immersed and interested the entire way. Plus, with the writing, I was completely drawn into the book, and it felt like I really was in the 1940's. I could also tell that Mrs. Sundin did her research 'cause there was a whole lot of historical info put into this book, but it was done well and didn't feel overwhelming.

Romance

Just let it be known that Walt and Allie are absolutely adorable. Their romance felt natural, and it certainly wasn't love at first sight, which I appreciated. A warning though. There was a lot of drama and misunderstandings that occurred between them because they just wouldn't talk about their feelings to each other. Honestly, I don't think I've ever met a couple that I adored so much, and yet wanted to throttle so much either. At least I can say that they definitely made me feel something ;). But that aside, I think their romance was really the highlight of the book, and I loved reading all the letters they wrote to each other. As individual characters, they both impressed me in many ways. Anyways, point is, they were both great characters, and I was totally rooting for them the entire story.

Side characters

The side characters were all really well developed, and they made me laugh and smile the entire book. But when Frank died, I was heartbroken. I was expecting it, because I just know that authors love killing off the good characters. At first Mrs. Sundin led me to believe nothing would really happen to Frank, and then she hit me with it. That was painful, especially since Frank was my favorite. And then when Jim also died, my heart broke. I can tell you honestly that a few tears came when that happened.

The Bad

Honestly, not much to write here. Just a few instances where I thought the writing was awkward, or a bit preachy. The beginning was also a bit slow, but all those complaints are just me being picky.

Conclusion

I'm going to binge-read ever Sarah Sundin novel there is. And I must get my hands on the next book. NOW.

[Jesseca Wheaton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ahhhh!! *hugs book* Just finished this! One of the best books I have read in a loonnggg time! I'll write my full review later. . .once I have a chance to collect all my thoughts and maybe re-read a couple parts. :)

[Amanda Tero · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great WWII read. I loved the balance of home front and overseas scenes.

There was a lot of depth to this novel with topics of obedience, truthfulness, and following God regardless the consequences.

A few uncomfortable accusations are made against one of the characters. Recommended for mature or older teen readers and above.

[Bruce Judisch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh boy, was this good! Where do I start?

I've already confessed to being a softie for stories of the Greatest Generation, but that aside, this is a marvelous book. Strong storyline, excellent writing, impeccable research--A Distant Melody has it all. In fact, Sarah Sundin has set the bar so high in this, her debut novel, that I'm a little nervous for her follow-on work. (Not really)

The story opens in 1942 with plain Allie Miller, heiress to a fabulously wealthy estate and a disasterously arranged engagement, visiting friends in the rural California countryside. There she meets Walt Novak, an unremarkable B-17 pilot on furlough from flight training. A friendship ensues and they leave behind promises to write each other, as Walt heads to England to fight the Luftwaffe over Europe and Allie returns home to fight herself over her future. Over the months and the miles, their faith and their relationship blossom and grow, albeit hindered by stutter-steps mostly of their own making. Finally, Walt returns home from England to an unexpected and breath-robbing climax.

By the bottom of page two, I knew I was going to like Sarah Sundin the Author. Smooth phrasing, great word choice, clever dialog, yes. But most impressive was her ability to finesse a consistent, yet subtle, thematic metaphor throughout the story, one hinted at by the title of the book. I was reminded of a marvelous cinematographic technique used in filming the movie The Age of Innocence, where the poignancy and theme of the story were underscored by brief snippets of seemingly unrelated graphical representations: a shifting collapse of burnt-through logs in a waning fireplace, the cold ash of a dying cigar breaking off into the ashtray. Ms. Sundin employs her obvious familiarity with the elements of music in the same way and to the same effect. Really well done.

Finally, Ms. Sundin knows her aeronautical and military lore. Full and accurate descriptions of the dynamics of powered flight, the anatomy and personality of the B-17 Flying Fortress, and the intensity and horror of aerial combat in World War II, set in concrete her right to author this story. Sound mechanical? Instructive? Dry? Oh, my goodness, no. She doesn't teach you about flying, you feel the wind tangle your hair during an open-cockpit landing. You don't mentally picture a Fort's cramped bubble turrent, your muscles stiffen in sympathy with the belly gunner. You don't read about somebody getting peppered by flak shrapnel through the plexiglass nose, you grab your leg and look for blood. She's that good.

You've probably gotten the picture that I liked this book. If you're looking for a story with as much romance, faith and action as you can possibly get into 415 pages, you've found it. No, you don't need to be a World War II buff to love this book. You just need to love great books.

[Joana · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Nas Asas do Amor" é o primeiro volume da saga "Asas de Glória", uma série de romances localizados temporalmente na Segunda Guerra Mundial, uma época que importante para a autora devido à suas ascendência, tal como a mesma nos confidencia no início do livro, que nos é trazida pela mais romântica das editoras, a Quinta Essência.
Este primeiro volume conta a estória de Allie Miller, uma jovem rica e privilegiada, cujo futuro já se encontra traçado, especialmente no que diz respeito à sua escolha (ou dos pais) de marido; e de Walt Novak, o mais novo dos três Novak, mas não menos corajoso, um engenheiro que arrisca a sua vida todos os dias como aviador na luta contra os Nazis.
Ambos conhecem-se por feliz acaso numa viagem de comboio, onde facilmente criam uma ligação. Ligação esta que cresceu quando passaram uma semana juntos graças ao casamento de Betty.
Allie e Walt vivem momentos inesquecíveis, mas o inevitável acontece, e a realidade bate-lhes com força quando Allie regressa a casa e a Baxter, o seu namorado de longa data e futuro marido, e Walt regressa ao dever militar, participando em missões em Inglaterra, onde arrisca a sua vida e dos seus queridos companheiros.
Como em tudo na vida, nem sempre tudo corre por bem e como mais queremos, e Allie e Walt sofrem as amarguras das más decisões e das realidades inevitáveis com as quais se têm de conformar.
456 páginas lidas como se fossem apenas 50, levando-me apenas cinco horas a lê-lo!
A leitura cativou-me de tal forma que assim que o iniciei, não o consegui pousar, levando a melhor sobre o sono!
A escrita de Sarah Sundin é encantadora e enfeitadora, cativando o leitor pela sua simplicidade e ternura, compaixão e moralidade.
Uma estória extremamente bem desenvolvida, com personagens bem estruturadas e extremamente interessantes, que levam o leitor a torcer por elas ao longo de toda a trama.
Embora seja um romance do qual todos esperamos o final feliz, a autora decide não facilitar-nos a vida, cortando-nos a respiração com vários momentos de tensão, levando-nos do êxtase à desilusão; da alegria á tristeza.
"Nas Asas do Amor" suscita no leitor uma mescla de emoções que nos levam do desespero ao entusiasmo... das lágrimas ao sorriso.
Allie e Walt são personagens que evidenciam a mestria e devoção de Sarah Sundin, com os seus bons carácteres; com os seus sentimentos e dúvidas reais; com as suas imperfeições humanas. São cativantes e inesquecíveis.
"Nas Asas do Amor" surpreendeu-me imenso e pela positiva, pois não esperava tal brilhantismo num romance datado na Segunda Grande Guerra, mas a verdade é que já não "vivia" um livro de forma tão emocionante há bastante tempo.
Recomendo a todos os românticos e até aos mais cépticos, pois os finais felizes acontecem!

[Libby May · Rating 2 out of 5]

Personally, I did not like the writing style. There was a lot of shallow events that were created to bring across a point, and it really felt like a junk food book. Not healthy, no depth, and just honestly leaves you feeling a little sick.

This is my personal opinion and I don't agree with the author about her standings as a Christian. The main point in the book was largely focused on disobeying her parents (because they wanted her to marry Baxter) and Walter's habit of lying. And I do agree that she should not marry Baxter because he was not a Christian, but I did not like the emphasis that was placed on disobedience to parents.

I probably won't be reading any more books by this author just because of her standings on Christianity that I found all throughout the book really hurt me as a reader. Again, personal opinion, so I will not be recommending this book to anyone, but if you like it, good for you. :D

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Livro muito bom! Uma optima estreia com esta autora. O casal principal é amoroso. O amor deles é terno e romântico. A Allie torna-se uma mulher forte e acaba por lutar para seguir as suas crenças. Foi talvez o 1º livro que li em que Deus é quase uma personagem decisiva no enredo.
Gostei imenso e quero continuar a ler esta série. Gostei do Jack e estou muito curiosa com o livro do Ray

[Heather Wood · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked the character arcs in this one and that there was an MC who struggled with lying and half truths just because authors don't always write Christian MCs with such flaws. Allie's parents and that whole situation drove me nuts, but overall it was a good story with great characters.

[Abbigail B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh man, this was a good read! I think this is one of my favourites for novels set during WWII.

[Mafi · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Nas Asas do Amor' primeiro volume da trilogias 'Asas da Glória' da autora Sarah Sundin conta-nos a história de amor de Allie e Walt durante a 2ª guerra mundial guerra mundial. Não é o livro perfeito mas é sem dúvida um bom romance, que me prendeu desde o início até ao fim, pela doçura do amor entre os protagonistas e pelas reviravoltas que a história apresentou. Fiquei mesmo a pensar que a Allie não ficaria com o seu amado.

Como disse, em termos de romance acho que o livro está bem conseguido, não é aquele amor à primeira vista, mas uma amizade que se tornou algo mais e gostei muito das primeiras páginas do livro.

A religião está fortemente presente no livro, e se repararmos bem, o livro é classificado como romance católico. Não fazia a ideia que o livro teria tantas ligações à religião e a Deus, mas à medida que ia avançando na leitura, comecei a ficar um pouco farta da maneira como a autora estava a impingir ao leitor a crença em Deus. Foi a ideia que retirei do livro, que se eu quisesse ter um romance feliz como os protagonistas, teria de ser crente. Logo aí comecei a revirar os olhos mas como estava curiosa quanto ao final, resolvi continuar a ler.

Outro detalhe que me irritou foi os pais de Allie e consequentemente Baxter (o possível marido). Que gente mais estúpida, estava-me mesmo a passar! Só queriam saber do estatuto social e da boa educação. Ao princípio irritei-me com a Allie por ser tão cega e não ver que a sua vida estava a andar para trás, ao aceitar tudo o que os pais diziam, mas felizmente, a personagem foi evoluindo ao longo do livro e ainda bem! Foi hilariante ler as cenas onde a Allie se impôs em frente aos pais e ao noivo. É assim mesmo! :)

Quanto às descrições da guerra, não achei assim nada de especial, aliás até achei muito levezinhas para o tema em si. Esperava algo mais forte.

Concluindo, foi um livro que me deu muito gosto em lê-lo e aguardo a publicação do segundo livro, esperando que não tenhas as mesmas falhas do que este primeiro.

[Kirsten · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the perfect novel when you're in the mood for a lighthearted historical romance.

Allie and Walt are equal parts endearing and annoying. I wanted to grab their shoulders and shake them so many times. But I loved their banter and their awkward flirting.
I appreciated their attraction for each other despite the fact that everyone else considers them plain. I was impressed by all the scripture references and Allie and Walt's dedication to live a life pleasing to God.

The musical terms were such a unique way to describe the character's emotions and attributes. I liked the depth of all the supporting characters, and how they each had their own distinct personality. However, there were so many friends and crew, that it was hard to keep them all straight at times.

I found it hard to believe that people as smart as Allie and Walt didn't know how they felt about each other for the WHOLE book. It was so frustrating. It also seemed highly unlikely that Walt's crew would have really been THAT mad at him about lying over Allie. Especially since they all told some whoppers themselves. I also was surprised by the lack of compassion from Allie's parents. How could they be so unfeeling? I wished there had been resolution in that regard.

Despite all the drama, emotional rollercoasters, and lack of communication this story had, I really enjoyed it. I laughed and cried. I'm eager to finish the series.

[Noella Baird · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a great writer! Had me guessing what would happen next and cheering on the characters that I loved best. So much happening in this book!! A really great book indeed!

[Kaitlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Though there were many things that I enjoyed about this book my overall feeling finishing it was just frustration. I love the WWII era which is what drew me to this book in particular. I enjoyed the characters for the most part and thought the writing was good but it was a little too religious for me. I really don't mind when authors make their characters religious, I appreciate that most of the time but I felt like it kind of overtook the story in general. I love reading books with characters of firm conviction and strength of character which is what I loved about these two people that were so normal and not thought of as supremely beautiful with huge amounts of confidence and suitors lining up for their chance with them. I love that they found that strength, acceptance and confidence in each other. They were great people and great characters BUT the thing that made me so frustrated about this book and changed my mind about reading the subsequent books in the series was their quest for honesty. They got so hung up on how evil little white lies were and that only complete honesty is acceptable to be a true follower of Christ and a good christian that they almost gave up on each other and walked away from the happiness they were both seeking. Would you really walk away from someone you loved feeling like they had lost your trust because they let a couple of war buddies believe you were his girlfriend? Seriously? A bit overdramatic don't you think?
I also hated that Walt beat himself up thinking he was a terrible person because of little lies like telling a hungry child on a train that he didn't really like oranges when in fact he loved them so the child's mother would accept his offering it out of kindness. I'm not really sure the message the author was trying to get across with this book.
It was an easy read because it kept my attention but it's probably not one that I would try reading again.

[Joana Gonzalez (Elphaba) · Rating 5 out of 5]

(Dei 5 estrelas porque como romance o livro é muito lindo. No que respeita ao tema da Segunda Guerra, tanto as descrições de época como batalhas são tocantes, gostei imenso. O leitor vive de forma intensa os dramas representados.)

Algures no meio da tormenta quando o desespero atinge o mais bravo e convicto dos corações terá de continuar a existir, por mais ínfima seja, uma réstia de esperança e a força necessária para continuar a acreditar. Afinal de contas, haverá na guerra bem mais precioso, consolo mais terno ou escudo mais resistente do que o amor?

Nas Asas do Amor é um belíssimo romance que transparece para o leitor a intensidade emocional que assolou uma camada ainda jovem durante a calamidade intitulada de Segunda Grande Guerra Mundial colocando em evidencia os mais ricos pormenores que, para o bem e para o mal, enterneceram o meu coração.
Sarah Sundin estreia-se neste primeiro livro com uma escrita cuidada e leve que flui com naturalidade oferecendo a quem lê a possibilidade de se aproximar um pouco mais de todos aqueles que ficaram com as duas vidas marcadas, assim como as gerações vindouras, através de um conhecimento de causa que enaltece cada página da sua obra.

Opinião completa: http://historiasdeelphaba.blogspot.pt...

[Saraina Whitney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ahhhh!!!!! Okay, this is my favorite WWII novel to date. Heartmelting, rivetting, just about everything I love in a book. My brothers were *annoyed* by how I kept talking to the characters while reading to it, but so many parts were just so exciting I could not help it (at least I didn't scream in relief or annoyance at misunderstandings... that often...). So, I decided I'll do a longer review for this one... here are all my thoughts on it:

CHARACTERS

Allie's a believable, an endearing character, and has a gripping problem with her loyalty to obey her parents. Walt's just as believable and has a gripping problem with his "ball bearings" lies. I may just be out of it, but I personally haven't read any books where that was the character's primary flaw, so I found it super interesting and, as a writer, loved how it created all sorts of wonderful conflict that tore him apart. *cries and also laughs* And this: Frank!!! HOW COULD HE DIE!!!!? That part was rather shocking, though it had been hinted at, I can now see. *weeps* And Betty... lol, she's so ESFP-ish, I love her!! Cressie's awesome, Baxter's, well, he's just disgusting. Couldn't hate him anymore than I already do. (That's not a challenge, haha.) Allie's parents are interesting; in the beginning, I felt that the conflict between Allie and her was a bit forced (could have been subtle-ized) but Father was a rather complicated creature - a bit of a gray character in terms of, should I hate him? Should I like him? The end made up my mind on that, though. Oh, and Walt's military buddies were awesome!! And Walt's brothers!!! How could I forget them?!!! I have to leave this off before I keep going on and on. *vanishes to next section*

PLOT

SO exciting. Now that I've finished it, I see how the beginning was sorta slow-paced compared to the thrilling middle (lol, far from those dreaded "sagging middle" books), but while reading it I never got bored. The dialogue and beautiful setting and character development and emotional subtexts were all so good. And as I was saying, that middle made my heart pound. *amazing* The parts where Walt & Co were in the thick of war were incredibly intense. The research that the author put into it really made it feel so real!!! It played like a movie in my mind.

ROMANCE

Ah, such a whirlwind of emotions!!! Yeah, all those crushing misunderstandings could be called cliche, but let me tell you, it worked for this book. It was paced reasonably and felt believable as the characters were. Sweet and heartwarming and made you want to bounce up and down for excitement! :D The romantic tension was well maintained even as Walt and Allie were separated and letters had to be written instead.

CHRISTIANITY AND THEMES

The Biblical content in this book flowed naturally and was very thought-provoking. "Sometimes we choose our sacrifices." (May not be the exact quote, but that was the gist of it.) That's such an interesting point. It's not a pleasant thought to think that the sacrifice you think you're suffering through may just be one that you chose over the real one God is calling you to. So I loved that theme, and the lying theme was just as thought-provoking. If I'm honest, I think lying is a sin that most people understate, especially those white lies or lies told that don't seen to directly negatively impact anyone. "Dishonesty always has a price." (When I read that quote, I half screamed cause it was the end of a chapter and the hidden/double meaning of it was just so... strong!)

HUMOR

This is a book that made me burst out laughing in several places, mainly thanks to the banter. I loved it!!! :D

THE HEARTBREAKING SADNESS

This is also a book that made me want to weep in several places. Let's just say my heart was being crushed along with the characters. :C

SETTINGS/TIME PERIOD/DETAILS

Well, it was during 1942, guys!!!! Like, one of my favorite time periods ever in terms of settings for books. London and California were the main settings, I'd say, and they just came alive with the historical details. From orange trees to piano music (especially loved that!) to theaters to those thrilling military details, it was all immersive and vivid. It all really had a unique vibe, in my opinion. Oh! And the slang of the time period was so cool! (You know, like "swell.") I loved that.

ACTUAL WRITING

Those beautiful music metaphors. *sighs happily* I only had one problem with them, and I'll get to that below in the "what I didn't like" section. But besides that, they were gorgeous. The pacing was on point, the switchings between Allie and Walt's perspectives were very well done IMO, and the fascinating historical details were nicely sprinkled throughout.

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE

The ending was a bit forced in my opinion, despite its overall sweetness. For the romance, kissing before marriage and even engagements was expected (I know Christians have differing viewpoints on that. I'm ok with before the actual wedding in books, but, I mean, even before the proposal? Lol, make of it what you will. I'm mainly bringing this up because it was a Christian book.) One last thing. The musical metaphors were gorgeous. I LOVED them. BUT. The first chapters had so many of them that they quickly lost their impact, and their unique loveliness faded. To my relief, after the beginning of the book, the frequency of them mellowed out so that they were much more impactful.

OVERALL

"A Distant Melody" was awesome and I hope whoever reads it next enjoys it just as much as I did!!! :D (Short but true, lol...)

[Filipa · Rating 4 out of 5]

(http://labirinto-livros.blogspot.pt/2...)

Estamos em 1942 e a Segunda Guerra Mundial encontra-se no seu auge. Por todos os Estados Unidos da América, jovens dos 18 anos para cima, estão a ser enviados para o estrangeiro para lutarem em nome da sua nação. O tenente Walter Novak, com 24 anos, é um desses jovens. Ele é um tenente da força aérea que está de licença pela última vez, para depois ser enviado para Inglaterra onde vai combater os soldados da Alemanha Nazi.
Allie Miller é uma jovem de 22 anos que provém de uma família bastante abastada. Esta está noiva de Baxter Hicks, gerente da empresa do pai e este é claramente um casamento de conveniência, pois o pai de Allie só passará a sua empresa a Baxter e a mais ninguém. Esta é a sua maneira de conservar a empresa na família Miller e também de casar a sua única filha. Allie não quer de maneira nenhuma desiludir os seus progenitores e embora não ame Baxter, está disposta a sacrificar a sua felicidade para que os pais se orgulhem dela, finalmente.

Mas agora que Allie foi convidada a assistir ao casamento da sua melhor amiga, Betty, tudo mudará. E no comboio que a irá levar até ao local onde este casamento se irá realizar, conhece o tenente Walter Novak, que apesar de alegar não ter jeito nenhum com mulheres, lhe vai mostrar o que é a felicidade, a amizade e, mais importante, o amor. No entanto, pouco depois de se conhecerem, Walter é enviado para a Guerra e os dois acabam por ter que se contentar com a correspondência. E Allie tem que acordar para a dura realidade: a do seu próprio casamento com o Baxter. Mas será que isto é a única coisa que ela pode esperar da vida? Ela mais que tudo na vida, quer ser feliz e casar por amor, não por conveniência. Allie não sabe o que há-de fazer, mas a verdade é que os desejos do coração falam mais forte que a cabeça.... e nem a Segunda Guerra Mundial vai impedir que este casal encontre a felicidade juntos.

Sarah Sundin é a nova aposta da editora Quinta Essência, com esta trilogia intitulada Asas de Glória. Mal o livro começou a sr publicitado, fiquei com bastante curiosidade. Não só a capa é muito gira (igual à original) como a sinopse me suscitava grande interesse. E ainda mais, por saber que a editora já tinha também a capa do segundo volume. Para mim é sempre bom ter a confirmação de que quando as editoras apostam em trilogias/séries, querem dar continuação às suas publicações. Confesso que não conheço muito bem literatura com uma grande ênfase em valores e princípios cristãos. Por isso mesmo, fiquei surpreendida quando reparei que este livro é classificado como Christian Fiction - ficção cristã, traduzindo directamente a classificação. Isto pareceu-me interessante e manteve-me curiosa, pois eu fui educada com valores católicos e embora não seja praticante, a religião é uma temática que irá interessar-me sempre. A própria autora é seguidora fiel da Igreja e dos valores cristãos e por isso mesmo, fiquei motivada para ver como é que a autora introduziria esta temática dentro de um romance histórico.

Além disso, o livro fala também sobre outra das minhas temáticas favoritas e das quais me fascina mais - a Segunda Guerra Mundial. Desta vez, com muito agrado, vejo que é a perspectiva americana que está a ser explorada e muito bem. Acho que a pesquisa da autora se mostra de forma notória, bem como os conhecimentos sobre as forças aéreas dos Estados Unidos da América. As descrições da autora da época conturbada que se visa neste romance estão bastante precisas e conseguem transportar o leitor para aquele período de tempo. Toda a narrativa da autora é intensa e isso para mim, é uma mais-valia numa obra literária. Acabei por me sentir parte integrante do enredo e da vida quotidiana, onde o trabalho voluntário feminino na Cruz Vermelha e os desafios diários por parte dos soldados são o foco principal.

Gostei imenso da escrita da autora, muito envolvente e bastante dinâmica e li o livro num instante, pois quando não o estava a ler, estava a desejar poder ler apenas mais um capítulo. As personagens e o enredo são igualmente envolventes e cativantes e por vezes, frustrante devido à teimosia dos protagonistas. Mas todos esses elementos faz com que o leitor se sinta mais próximo da obra e faz também com que a experiência de leitura seja positiva.
Fico muito contente por esta aposta e ainda mais contente por saber que o segundo volume, intitulado Nas Asas da Memória, será publicado já em Junho. Estou mesmo muito curiosa e ansiosa para o ler.
Ainda mais porque a trilogia é apenas sobre os irmãos Novak e gostei imenso desta família. Mal consigo conter o meu entusiasmo para ter notícias sobre os estes dois irmãos que ficam a faltar.

E, atenção, fãs do Pearl Harbor, este livro é para vocês. Tenho a certeza que irão gostar... os aviadores proliferam por aqui.
Um romance histórico, com a segunda guerra mundial como pano de fundo, inspirador, emotivo e muito, muito doce. Impossível não gostar!

[Leona · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not sure I get all the five star reviews. I found the writing to be clumsy. The plot is confusing and filled with filler that didn't add to the execution of the story. I ended up not finishing the book. With so many "good reads", I don't want to waste my time.

[Vera Coutinho · Rating 4 out of 5]

O livro “Nas asas do amor” é um romance muito querido que me fez rir, sonhar e apreciar um tempo em que a correspondência principal entre apaixonados ainda era só por carta!

A história tem ação nos Estados Unidos da América, durante a Segunda Guerra Mundial.

Allie é a personagem principal do livro. Filha única, que foi criada num seio de uma família abastada, está prometida a um homem de confiança do pai, compromisso que a deveria deixar contente por alguém a querer, já que a sua mãe, uma beleza natural, a criou com a ideia de que não era bonita. Vivendo uma vida monótona e com amigos apenas longe de casa, será numa viagem para ir ao casamento de uma amiga que irá conhecer Frank, um militar da força aérea, surgindo entre ambos uma química instantânea.
Walt é um envergonhado militar e um fracasso para conquistar o sexo feminino tanto pelo seu aspeto como pela sua timidez.
Juntos começam uma amizade através de cartas, já que Walt é destacado como piloto na Segunda Guerra Mundial.

É um romance light que evoca sensações de amizade, de desafios e conquistas pessoais, de acreditar e arriscar e que o amor e amizade estão sempre em primeiro para uma vida feliz!
Apesar da capa aludir muito a um cenário de Guerra, o tema da Segunda Guerra Mundial apenas serve como cenário secundário, mais como indicador temporal, e de algumas situações dos pilotos, mas não é um assunto principal, por isso não fujam deste romance light que conquistou um espaço no meu coração e coleção literária como sendo um livro muito querido :)!

[Hannah Beth (Hannah's Book Cafe) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my goodness, favorite read of the year so far! I loved everything about this book. The chemistry of the Allie and Walt, the strife and tension between parents, siblings and friends, and I even enjoyed the action scenes (which says a lot about me because I am much more of a drama scene person myself). I was rooting for Allie and Walt the whole time!! I loved Until Leaves Fall in Paris, but I truthfully think I loved this one even more. I'm predicting this goes on my top 5 reads of 2023 at the end of the year.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, wow, wow! As the characters in this book would say, "What a swell read!" I am a big fan of WWII fiction and could actually hear the characters talking as I read this book. It made me think of the old movies set in that era. I felt like I was living within the pages because the setting was so well done. While this was a thick novel, don't let it deceive you. I zipped right through it in a few days. I can't stand it when books drag on forever and this one didn't slow or lag at all. It was the perfect length and just the right amount of tension and action to keep the plot interesting and moving along.

The love story in this book was also highly addictive. While not edgy at all, I was desperately wanting them to kiss and be together so they could experience true love with each other. I think I was pining for them even more than they were! I loved that the author knew how to put her characters through the wringer enough where you could really empathize with them and their conflicts. And if there was ever a story that illustrated the consequences of lying--no matter how small those lies seem--this was the best example I've found with that message in years. Their love for the Lord was key to the storyline, too, and I loved how the author pulled those truths together through the plot to show how important it is to marry someone who believes in Christ when you are a Christian.

Did I mention how much I love reading WWII fiction? I had a blast flying with these flyboys and participating in their dangerous missions. I really had a keen sense of being on a bomber and all that was involved in flying during WWII. I loved how the authors showed the tragedy of combat, but also that even the enemy is human, like in the scene where the enemy read the Scripture on their damaged plane and spared them due to a mutual appreciation for Christian faith. The lesson about obedience and sacrifice was priceless, too.

This was a wonderful, wonderful story with many nuggets of truth that the reader can glean from the storyline. I can't say enough good things about this book!