A Distant Melody, Book Review

From everything I had heard The Wings of Glory promised to be an excellent series and I could not resist the first title!

I first read A Distant Melody's resume online and its appeal was such I entered a contest for the book (I was not a winner unfortunately) but I wrote a line to the author who graciously offered me bookmarks and postcards  for our local library! Sarah Sundin introduced me then to her blog Under His Wings and it has been a pleasure to "visit" many times over! 

The setting for the books in the series sounded perfect for me since I am an avid reader of WWII homefront stories, on both sides of the pond I might add! Anyone familiar with Hope and Glory will know how my husband grew up and being married for the last 36 years to this Ex RAF lad means I love reading about flying as well. 

In A Distant Melody, Sarah Sundin describes both the homefront and the combat zones with such minutious details you almost feel there! Here you will read about rationing and buying War Bonds as well as the not so well known challenges many of our mothers and grandmothers experienced in war time. 

But Sarah Sundin goes much further by introducing us in startling details to the lives of the flyboys who for love of Country and Freedom put their lives on the line and flew B17 and B24 on countless dangerous missions, some never to return home! 

However this is the story of people who do not shy away from their Christian beliefs despite the challenging times that makes this book truly special.

In the first book of the series you will enjoy discovering shy Allie who will do everything to please her parents including marrying someone she does not love only to discover God has another plan for her.

Lt. Walter Novak loves flying and trusts the Lord to keep him safe. During his last furlough he meets Allie and finds in her a kindred spirit. But all too soon he must fly his B17 crew overseas to fight the ennemy. Through their correspondence across a world entangled in ugly conflict he soon discovers his heart is hers only!

However commitments and secrets are unavoidable and only through their understanding of the grace of God will they learn to trust each other enough to share their true feelings.

This wonderful story was written in such a way that men and women will relate to it in some aspect and it will captivate readers, young and old alike. This is not just another romantic historical novel for us ladies and much has to be said about Sarah Sundin's research of the Bombers she describes so vivedly in her stories.

In this first book of the series, A Distant Melody is certain to strike a chord and no one will deny Allie's and Walter's feelings reflects the certainty we are all flying under His Wings.

Many thanks to Sarah Sundin for bringing back countless memories and wonderful tales of bravery! I am very much looking forward to read Book # 2 in the series, A Memory Between Us and Book # 3 coming out in August 2011, Blue Skies Tomorrow!

Her new series Wings of the Nightingale will come out in 2012!

Note: As always, a reminder: I was not asked to review this book and this post reflects only my opinion!