ReviewsByErin

 


Sarah Sundin's new Sunrise at Normandy series gets off to a wonderful start! The series will feature the stories of the estranged Paxton brothers who all end up storming Normandy on D-Day - one from the sea, one from the air, and one from the ground. Book One is about Wyatt, the oldest, whose actions spurred the breakup of the brothers. Now he's in England in early 1944, helping map out and plan the upcoming attack on the Norman beaches. Still trying to atone for the sins of the past, Wyatt believes that once he reaches a certain goal he will be able to return like the prodigal son to his Texas home.

Dorothy Fairfax grew up being called "Jolly Dolly" as she dashed from one adventure to the next. Now the Blitz and the war have decimated her family, and the only person she has left in the world - her father - is mired in depression and barely able to function. Dorothy's work with the British Wrens is valuable, but she's terrified she'll be transferred away from London. Meanwhile she's also been working to develop an air of sophistication and class in order to catch Lawrence Eaton's eye. Eaton was a classmate of her brothers and Dorothy has had a crush on him for a long time. She's worked hard to shape herself into the kind of woman he will notice, and now that he is working in the same office the time is right to make her dreams come true.

As Wyatt and Dorothy develop a friendship, he's drawn to the fun-loving redhead and her big heart, but he can see she only has eyes for Eaton. She's thankful for a friend in whom to confide her troubles at home and with her father's business. Formerly an accountant, Wyatt agrees to help find a suspected embezzler within the Fairfax & Sons company, but what he uncovers may shatter what little family security Dorothy has.

I really enjoyed both Wyatt and Dorothy's stories. Their faith struggles were well-written and relatable, as Wyatt has to learn to forgive himself and live with his past, and Dorothy grapples over a relationship with a God who has allowed so much loss in her life. I've also never read a story that specifically focused on D-Day preparations, and I felt like I learned new things about this portion of history. I look forward to the rest of the books in this series!

 


Ray Novak set aside his heart's work of being a pastor in order to serve in the military during WWII. Training pilots stateside is noble, but hardly the stuff of heroes. He feels even less needed when he's reassigned to a desk job near his home town. It does put him in the path of childhood friend and war widow Helen Carlisle, which is a definite advantage, but he still feels like he needs to do more for his country.

Thrilled to reconnect with Ray, Helen hopes her days of pretending are over. She feels like rejoicing that her abusive marriage came to an end thanks to a Japanese torpedo, but she's never been honest about where her broken bones and scars came from. With Ray there's hope that she can stop her pretense of grief and secure a future of safety and love. But hurt people tend to hurt others, and Helen's brokenness soon drives a wedge in the fledgling romantic relationship.

Deciding to prove his bravery, Ray signs up for a combat tour and soon finds himself stationed in Europe. It's nice to be near his brothers Walt and Jack, but it's hard to know his actions are causing death and destruction even though the cause is just.

As Helen begins addressing the pain in her past, the freedom of healing begins to emerge. With new eyes, Helen begins to hope for better days ahead for herself and her young son. Her struggle continues as she realizes her father-in-law controls so much of her life yet, and he has no notion of releasing her or his grandson if he can possibly help it. Hoping and praying and loving Ray from across the ocean, Helen navigates one day at a time.

With WWII drawing to a close, Ray has no idea the lengths to which his bravery will be tested. Captivating action will keep the reader glued to the pages as the Wings of Glory series comes to a close. I would caution that verbal and physical abuse is dealt with in detail in this story and may be of concern for some readers. This story caps another exciting series by Sarah Sundin, an author I would recommend to all historical fiction fans.

Wrapping up the Wings of a Nightingale trilogy is the story of Kay Jobson, the nurse who has been more on the outside of the friendly group we've gotten to know from With Every Letter and On Distant Shores. Closed and defiant, Kay has no problem dating six men at a time, keeping them all at her beck and call while actually protecting herself from getting close to any one of them. This way of isolating herself while being a social standout comes with a price, and Kay finds herself longing for more. Her father's fanatic religion has driven her away from wanting anything to do with God, but the faith of the other nurses and pilot Roger Cooper is beginning to call out to her.

Roger struggles with the rules and regulations that come with with being a pilot during a war. All the paperwork and long hours require a different mental approach from the man who would rather play drums all day. Roger dreams of the war being over and auditioning for a place in a popular big band. All his life he's been told he'll never amount to anything, and his past seems to prove it. He knows God has forgiven him, but he still wants to protect himself from repeating mistakes. The last thing he wants is for Kay to turn her flirtatious smile his way, but when she does, Roger suddenly feels impressed to give her his Bible. Couldn't God send anyone else to help the gorgeous redhead find her answers?

While Kay is shocked that Roger has given her one of his most treasured possessions, she begins reading it and writing down questions to mail to him at his new station in India. As she gets to know God for who He is rather than who her father presented Him to be, Kay finds herself longing for His love, and accepting it brings a radical change to her life. No longer seeing the men around her as playthings, Kay devotes herself to trying to unify their nurse squadron so she can qualify for chief nurse training. Such a position would open the door for her dream of a stable future and a home of her own to come true.

When Roger returns from India and finds himself stationed near Kay again, a steadfast friendship emerges. But with their differing goals and the dangers of the final year of the war at hand, there is plenty of tension to keep them from deepening their relationship even as attraction grows.

Out of the three books in the series, I found this one to have the most exciting war action. I won't spoil it, but things happen that keep you on the edge of your seat! I also was very excited when I realized that Kay was getting her own book, as the hints we were getting in previous books made me see her potential as an interesting heroine. I continue enjoying each and every one of Sundin's novels, and look forward to her next release!

It's World War II meets "You've Got Mail" and "The Shop Around the Corner" in this tale of anonymous correspondents falling in love. I enjoyed this book so much I couldn't put it down, reading the final half in one sitting. That doesn't happen often these days!

Mellie Blake was raised in the Philippines by her American father, who was very concerned about raising Mellie up to be a proper lady after her Filipina mother left them. Too American to fit in completely with the local girls, and too Filipino to fit in when visiting America, Mellie has always struggled with making friends and being comfortable in her own skin. When she has the opportunity to become one of the pioneering flight nurses in the newly-formed division of the Army Air Force, Mellie hopes this is her calling. But her inability to form a connection with the other nurses leave her not only frustrated but in danger of losing her job.

Fighting for his country in North Africa, Tom MacGilliver is a man who always, always strives to be cheerful and not let his true feelings show through. With his last name made infamous by a father who was tried and executed for murder, Tom wants people to know he's nothing like his father. His desire with his engineering degree is to build bridges that bring people together, and now that he is near the front lines of war he is terrified that he might one day have to take the life of another human being. When his commanding officer arranges for soldiers and nurses to begin anonymous correspondences, Tom realizes this is a needed outlet to reveal his true self to someone who won't judge him based on his name.

Unsure about this exercise of writing to an unknown soldier, Mellie quickly realizes that she can build a friendship on paper, where her awkwardness and nontraditional looks won't garner rejection. Soon letters are flying between "Annie" and "Earnest," each seeking help and guidance from the other about the troubles around them. They find much strength in being able to pour out their hearts, know someone else is praying for them, and point each other to Christ. When Mellie is transferred to North Africa they know there is a chance that they will meet, but they have been so careful to conceal their identity that they may never know it if they do.

Enough information has slipped through that Mellie knows she's met her Earnest the first time she crosses paths with Tom. Getting to know him in person only solidifies the love she's grown to have for him, but he still doesn't know who she is. Feeling like he would only be disappointed if he realized that Annie and Mellie were the same person, but unable to completely give up their letters because they mean so much to her, Mellie must walk a difficult line between being there for Earnest and protecting herself from Tom.

Everyone who has struggled with insecurity will be able to connect with Tom and Mellie. The romantic in you will cheer for their relationship, and the history buff will enjoy the twist of a WWII story not set in Europe. I have loved every novel by Sarah Sundin that I have read, and I hope to read many more. "With Every Letter" is currently free on Kindle, so I hope you check it out if this sounds like something you would enjoy. I don't think you will be disappointed!

I had heard wonderful things about Sarah Sundin's historical novels, so when I saw that this one was free on Kindle (and it still is for a limited time!), I grabbed it up and started right in on it. Having just finished "Rilla of Ingleside", I was already in a war novel kind of mood. This one is set in World War II.

Sundin's writing style drew me in immediately. She found ways to insert musical references seamlessly into the text, tying in with the title of the story, which I found to be a nice touch. I thought her an engaging author, and I look forward to reading more of her books in the future.

Our story opens when Allie Miller takes a trip away from home to be a part of her best friend's wedding. Allie feels very little control over her life. She's been raised by wealthy, homebody parents, and is in a long-term relationship with the young man who will one day take over her father's company. Having recently become a Christian, Allie feels that there is more out there than the staid life she's always known, but is uncertain of herself and her ability to pursue it. On the train ride she meets a young lieutenant and they are able to have an enjoyable conversation, each thinking they will never see each other again. But when they reach their destination, Allie and Walter Novak discover that they are both in the same wedding party, and are thrown together often over the course of the week.

Walter falls hard for Allie. Allie doesn't like to talk about the unpleasantness of her home life, and she feels sure that their mutual friends will fill Walt in on the fact that she's almost an engaged woman. Besides, she's enjoying the very real connection between them. At the end of the week Allie returns home and Walt prepares to ship out, and they agree to write each other.

Throughout the following long months, their friendship and prayers for each other are a sustaining force in both Allie and Walt's lives. She is bolstered by his encouragement to begin attending church and making decisions for herself, and he appreciates the way Allie listens and understands like no one else. Each of them fight their own inner battles even as Walt battles the Axis forces. Allie craves her parents' approval and knows she has it if she accepts her boyfriend's proposal and takes the place already assigned to her, but she doesn't know if she can live with herself if she follows through with it.

Overall, I highly enjoyed this book. The spiritual aspect of the friendship between Walt and Allie was nicely done. At times the plot got a little convoluted, but thankfully I had a good stretch of time so I could read through most of the story at once and therefore wasn't bothered by that. There was realism about the death of friends and personal danger that Walt faced as a fighter pilot that fit the WWII setting. It wasn't a perfect novel, but it kept me wrapped up wonderfully. I hope I have opportunity to read the rest of the books in this series.