World War II Story Reviewed by Roby Chausse

Letters From Home
by Kristina McMorris
http://www.kristinamcmorris.com/
Women’s Fiction
Kensington Books
ISBN: 978-0-7582-4684-4


Review by Robyn Chausse for The New Book Review

McMorris takes us on a journey of the heart in this timeless tale set against the backdrop of WWII. In a story told through dated letters and entries we follow the lives of three young women struggling with issues of friendship, love, honesty and choices.
Liz is engaged to an up and coming politician when she finds herself attracted to Morgan McClain, who is just heading off on tour of duty. The two begin a courtship through letters, but McClain believes he is writing to someone else! Julia is torn between a once in a lifetime chance to follow her heart’s desire, and settling down into respectable married life with her fiancé who is due to return from war. Betty, tired and frustrated with her place in society, enlists and finds herself at an Army hospital in the line of fire. Each of these characters reaches a point where they can no longer be who they have been.

Letters from Home is beautifully written with rich characters and a touch of romance. It took me back to a more innocent time. It made me think about how society has changed, especially towards women, and how it hasn’t. It made me think about my parent’s younger days and postcard courtship. It also made me cry several times—and I found myself listening to 40’s music for weeks afterward. The adherence to historically correct detail is impressive (yes, I did cross check the history). This effort successfully blurred the line between fact and fiction and set a definite mood. I read this book in a weekend and could not put it down.


~Reviewer Robyn Chausse also interviewed the author. Find the interview at http://muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com/2011/02/letters-from-home-by-kristina-mcmorris.html.  She also blogs for The Muffin, the blogsite of WOW! Women on Writing, http://www.womenonwriting.com/ . Her own blog is A Ponderance of Things (http://rcponders.wordpress.com/ ).




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