With Every Letter (Wings of the Nightingale, #1)

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With Every Letter (Wings of the Nightingale #1)

by Sarah Sundin (Goodreads Author)

4.21 of 5 stars 4.21 · rating details · 320 ratings · 109 reviews

As part of a World War II morale-building program, flight nurse Lt. Mellie Blake begins an anonymous correspondence with Lt. Tom MacGilliver in North Africa. As their letters crisscross the Atlantic, they develop a deep friendship. But when they're both transferred to Algeria, will their future be held hostage by the past---or will they reveal their identities?

Paperback, 432 pages

Published September 2012 by Revell

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Sep 21, 2012 Maureen Timerman rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012

When Millie Blake reluctantly, actually forced to, begin anonymous correspondence with Tom [Ernie] MacGulliver. Both have had life long problems to deal with. Millie has never had a friend, and Tom has had to deal with his father being a murderer [MacGilliver the Killerer].
While they can't open up to others they open up to each other in their letters. Each begins to depend on hearing from the other.
Tom is a Civil Engineer and has been sent to North Africa...he is putting airfields back together...more

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Dec 30, 2012 Michelle rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: historicalfiction, forpleasure, forreview, blog-tour-book, christianfiction, big-book-2012

I haven't read a book by Sarah Sundin that I haven't liked. This story started out a bit slow, but I hung in there and was hooked about five chapters into the story. I loved the mystery of the letters and how they were able to be open with each other without fear, but at the same time the very thing they feared -- falling in love -- was inevitable. This was a sweet love story. I can easily see it as a movie, and while reading I could hear the author's unique voice in my head. Sundin always goes...more

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Nov 29, 2012 Elizabeth Dyck rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: my-bookself

I have never read any of Sarah Sundin’s books before, so I didn’t know what to expect. I enjoyed this book thoroughly though. It was awesome, awesome, and did I say awesome?

When Mellie accepts an offer to write to an anonymous soldier, she never expected to receive an answer to her letter. Encouraged she continues to write, pouring out her heart to a man she only knows by a name she gave him, Ernest. He only knows her by the name he has chosen for her, Annie.

Not thinking they would ever meet, th...more

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Jan 13, 2013 Marianne rated it 5 of 5 stars

With Every Letter is an enthralling novel of nurses during World War II. Sarah Sundin has aptly captured the drama of nurses going to the front lines and what they endured from fellow soldiers as they unfalteringly worked to make the presence of women nurses an actuality in the war. The idea of anonymous letters is an entriguing thought, and the basis of this story. The humor of it, as well as the mystery comes through clearly. Smell the dust, feel the devastation and angst of soldiers in war. W...more

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Oct 06, 2012 Jaime Wright rated it 5 of 5 stars

I am an AVID fan of Sarah Sundin's novels. I've always been obsessed with World War II history, collecting my Grampa's wartime articles, uniform, army trunk, etc. Her first series, Wings of Glory, was everything I wanted a good WWII novel to be about. Can she best her first three books? (Every author's worry). SHE DID SHE DID SHE DID!!

With Every Letter is a fascinating book about Mellie, a flight nurse, and her ministry letters to a soldier she's never met with a name she doesn't know. Tom is a...more
I am an AVID fan of Sarah Sundin's novels. I've always been obsessed with World War II history, collecting my Grampa's wartime articles, uniform, army trunk, etc. Her first series, Wings of Glory, was everything I wanted a good WWII novel to be about. Can she best her first three books? (Every author's worry). SHE DID SHE DID SHE DID!!

With Every Letter is a fascinating book about Mellie, a flight nurse, and her ministry letters to a soldier she's never met with a name she doesn't know. Tom is a soldier with a name he despises and a friendless life that isn't made friendlier as he is immersed in battle.

Characters; Sarah brings out the best in the common struggles between Mellie and Tom. The need for acceptance, yet the lonely existence of being ostracized from community binds them. Mellie's cultural background during a war that surrounds the world doesn't aid her quest to remain in the background, ministering to wounded soldiers. Tom's association with a murdering father marks him as a killer he is not, and his quest to convince the world he is a pleasant, humor-filled man keeps his relationships surface and his heart empty. Sarah does a fantastic job bringing the reader deep into the minds of the characters and within the first chapter - you will be in love! Even if they haven't fallen yet ;)

Setting: It's WWII. What more of a setting do you want? Yet, Sarah takes us to Algeria. Not exactly the most popular setting for a war novel. Paris, Normandy, the South Pacific, Hawaii... all been done. Algeria. Nope. THAT'S WHY YOU'LL love it!! Sarah also richly captures the history of the era -- from the music, the slang, the planes, the battles, the wounds ... it's realistic. While it reads like a novel, it's also a rich history book of one of the most glamorous yet horrific eras in American history.

Faith: Both Mellie and Tom are characters of faith. While they have moments of crisis, their faith is strong. And, I love this. Often in novels, one character is seeking while the other has faith. I enjoy a book where the Spiritual struggles are relatable to a well-established person of faith. It's a refreshing take on Inspirational novels.
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Sep 30, 2012 Ruth rated it 1 of 5 stars

Since I enjoyed Sarah Sundin’s novels about WWII pilots (See reviews linked below) I was eager to read the first book in her new series, one titled “Wings of the Nightengale” about WWII flight nurses. Since this tour has started, I've read a lot of very good reviews of this book; unfortunately, I was disappointed in this one and did not finish it.

The female lead is Philomella. She grew up without her mother and never learned to make friends. She has a scrapbook of photos from magazines of kids p...more Since I enjoyed Sarah Sundin’s novels about WWII pilots (See reviews linked below) I was eager to read the first book in her new series, one titled “Wings of the Nightengale” about WWII flight nurses. Since this tour has started, I've read a lot of very good reviews of this book; unfortunately, I was disappointed in this one and did not finish it.

The female lead is Philomella. She grew up without her mother and never learned to make friends. She has a scrapbook of photos from magazines of kids playing games and she used to imagine herself joining them. Then she switched to cutting pictures out of the newspapers--pictures of people she believed needed her prayers. One was the son of an infamous murderer, one who was so infamous (he killed a famous husband and wife) that children made up rhymes about him --McGilliver the killiver… and even now, at least ten years later, everyone recognized the name. She prayed for the son who lost his father, the poor boy who would forever be an outcast because of his father’s crime. As an Army nurse, this scrapbook is one of the possessions she carries with her as she goes from her training as one of the first flight nurses to her wartime assignment in northern Africa. While I am not an expert on WWII or nursing, assuming Sudin got the details right, the parts of the book about flight nursing were the best.

The male lead is Jack McGilliver. He is a lieutenant in the US Army, and an engineer who dreams of one day designing bridges. As an engineer, he is an officer and expected to lead a squad of men. Unfortunately, due to his name he has cultivated a “nice guy” personality--friendly, affable, inoffensive. He doesn’t have any real friends but everyone likes him. He doesn’t want to be mean or physically threatening. His men lack discipline and don’t obey him.

Her commanding officer is married to his commanding officer and Mrs. gets the idea that having her nurses write anonymous letters to his men would be a morale boost. He ends up with her letter and they being a regular anonymous correspondence. Each speaks of his or her weaknesses to the other. They encourage each other--she tells him to look to Jesus as a model of leadership. One day they meet but he doesn’t know it is her. Each is utterly lacking in self-confidence, sure the other wouldn’t want him/her if she/her knew who he/she really was. I found the whole book, or at least the 250 pages I read (it is over 400 pages long) to be overwrought and melodramatic. I neither liked nor cared about either of them by the time I decided that enough was enough.(less)

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Sep 24, 2012 Cara Putman rated it 5 of 5 stars

With Every Letter is the first book in her new Wings of the Nightingale series. While watching Shop Around the Corner, she began wondering what it would be like to fall in love through letters at a soul connection. As she noodled on that idea, With Every Letter was born. Mellie is a woman who's never quite fit in and as a result is a loner who can't form friendships. But her boss is requiring her to if she wants to become a flight nurse. Tom is also a loner because of his past. He puts on a sunn...more

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Sep 23, 2012 Kathleen (Kat) Smith rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: chick-literature, christian-action-adventure, christian-fiction, christian-historical-fiction, historical-fiction, romance-fiction

Some of my most favorite and memorable movies are the old classic black and white movies starring Jimmy Stewart, and one of them is The Shop Around The Corner. It set the precedent for the newer movie, You've Got Mail and also the premise and background for Sarah Sundin's latest novel, With Every Letter. This is the first in the Wings of the Nightingale Series and being a huge fan of WWII fiction novels, I knew I wanted to read this one.

The book introduces us to two very different but similar ch...more Some of my most favorite and memorable movies are the old classic black and white movies starring Jimmy Stewart, and one of them is The Shop Around The Corner. It set the precedent for the newer movie, You've Got Mail and also the premise and background for Sarah Sundin's latest novel, With Every Letter. This is the first in the Wings of the Nightingale Series and being a huge fan of WWII fiction novels, I knew I wanted to read this one.

The book introduces us to two very different but similar characters. The first is Lt. Philomela "Mellie" Blake who we meet as a nurse at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center carrying for her patients while awaiting a response to become a flight nurse for the upcoming Air Evacuation Group that was forming in Bowman Field in Kentucky. When the Army Air Force announced plans to train nurses to assist in air evacuation, Mellie had begged the chief for a recommendation. Flight nurses would fly into combat areas, load the wounded, and care for them in the air. They would be stationed all over the world, and she hoped even in the Pacific, close to her Papa, who went missing when the Japanese conquered the Philippines a few months earlier and she doesn't know his fate, but believes he is still alive.

Yet the biggest challenge facing Mellie is her lack of social skills in making friends. She can work magic caring for the patients she oversees but forming any long, lasting connection, is near to impossible for her. When she is asked by chief nurse to participate in a letter writing campaign to boost morale and encourage the men serving in the armed forces, she is more than fearful. If she can't maintain relationships with men or women, how can she possible participate in this. But with encouragement from her chief nurse, she willingly agrees and finds that perhaps she might be on her way to something that might open doors for her to finally make friends.

Lt. Thomas MacGilliver Jr is the lucky recipient of Mellie's attempt at friendship through the letter writing campaign and they both have been asked not to reveal any details or names but to keep the letter writing as professional and encouraging on both ends as possible. Thomas is made aware that the letter writers are flight nurses and that is about as personal to her identity that Mellie and Thomas can be. What he finds is a fellow soul mate that speaks the same language she does. He, too, has a difficult time making friends and finds that aside from leading a platoon of men into war, that is about as far as his relationships go as well. He also has a dark past that he is trying to escape from and with Mellie's help, he may finally put his ghosts from his past to rest once and for all. So he finds a true friend through his letter writing with Mellie and that is the true treasure of this book.

It shows how much a letter from someone can really encourage one another through the hardships and trials of war. What may start as a friendship may lead to something more as Mellie and Tom get to know one another without revealing too much and find a love that goes beyond mere words on a page. It's taking the movie premise of letter writing to a completely different and timeless level in this wonderful book and what happens along the way is worth reading this historical novel. I can't wait for the next book in this series. I received this novel, With Every Letter, compliments of Litfuse Publicity for my honest review and have to say this one rates a 5 out of 5 stars in my opinion. For those of you that love a great historical romance set in the midst of WW2, then you will truly LOVE this novel!(less)

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Sep 22, 2012 Kaylea rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: see-blog-for-more-info

What happens when life imitates a movie? That's the question Sarah Sundin must have been asking herself as she set the plot line for the first book in her newest series "Wings of A Nightingale."

In With Every Letter, Sundin builds a relationship with Lt. Mellie Blake and Lt. MacGilliver by mimicking the Jimmy Steward movie, "Shop Around The Corner," by developing an anonymous "morale-building" pen-pal effort between soldiers and nurses.

For Tom, the chance to write the letter, gives him a way to e...more

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Sep 21, 2012 Charity rated it 5 of 5 stars

I haven't read one book by Sarah Sundin I haven't enjoyed. There was one that had a minor part I didn't care for but overall her books are really interesting and well written. With Every Letter was no different!

This book centers around Mellie and Tom. Mellie is a nurse and Tom is an engineer. Their relationship starts with just writing anonymous letters to each other and then blossoms into something way more. There is some intrigue in this as you wonder how quickly Mellie is going to make frien...more

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Sep 19, 2012 Brandi rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction

After finishing With Every Letter I got to thinking that if history textbook authors had the skills that Sarah Sundin does we’d all know our history better. She has a way of describing the scene in detail without losing your interest even if you aren’t a history buff. Am I suggesting that Sarah quit writing historical romances and switch to textbooks? I shout an emphatic NO! Keep writing what you do best…you are educating an unsuspecting group of us.

Do you remember writing letters? Or better yet...more

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Sep 18, 2012 Chelsey rated it 5 of 5 stars

Lt. Mellie Blake is serving as a flight nurse and loves her job and the compassion that she feels for her patients. Her only wish is that she had more friends or even a more normal lifestyle. Her mother died when she was young and she spent most of her life traveling all over the world with her father and never making any lasting friendships. Her life is in need of a positive change and she receives that and so much more when she is approached by a head nurse and asked to participate in a letter...more Lt. Mellie Blake is serving as a flight nurse and loves her job and the compassion that she feels for her patients. Her only wish is that she had more friends or even a more normal lifestyle. Her mother died when she was young and she spent most of her life traveling all over the world with her father and never making any lasting friendships. Her life is in need of a positive change and she receives that and so much more when she is approached by a head nurse and asked to participate in a letter writing experience in which she will serve as an anonymous pen pal to a soldier overseas.

Once Mellie and Tom started to writing letters back and forth to one another I knew that I had fallen in love with each of their characters. I loved Tom because he was so modest, yet sounded unbelievable handsome. He had such a loving and understanding personality. The men that served on his battalion looked up to him and admired him. There was a mutual respect between him and most of the men who answered to him. This was shocking for me to discover because most Lieutenants are harsh and some even abuse the title given to them. Tom was different. He was in the shadow of his father who served before him, and whom I do not gather many people liked very much. His father had the reputation of a mean and gruff man, and I can see Tom’s character trying to change that.

Tom and Mellie are both good for one another. They are both at points in their lives where they feel somewhat lost and alone. They both do not feel like they fit in. Mellie has a hard time reaching out and meeting new people, while Tom, even though he is extremely well-liked, has a hard time forming lasting relationship with others. Through their anonymous letters it is clear to the reader that two brand new characters are being developed. The letters allow Mellie and Tom to completely be themselves and open up in a way that they have never really done with an individual before. I looked forward to reading each new letter as they appeared on the pages.

The reality of the war-time circumstances that Mellie and Tom were in became more apparent towards the middle and end of the book; the situations were made realistic by the actions of each character. The book highlights specific instances when both Tom and Mellie’s expertise are needed in order pull off exquisite plans and actions; therefore, exemplifying the brave and intuitive nature of each one to make the best decisions for everyone. I loved reading what was happening around both of them as they were usually in different countries. Sundin recaptures a very moving and touching war experience through each character and gives anyone with an appreciation for history a closer glance inside it.

This was a book that can be expressed beyond the words that I have written here. Anyone could find some sort of connection with this book if you have ever felt alone or the sense of rejection. Therefore, I strongly encourage you to look into Mellie and Tom’s adventures and see if you think you have what it takes to replace either one of them on the front lines!

Available September 2012 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

***Thank you to the publishers at Revell for providing me with a free copy of this book for review purposes***
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Sep 18, 2012 Cindy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Lt. Mellie (Philomela)Blake is an odd one, always feeling like the odd man out, she does not make friends well. A lot of it has to do with her upbringing by a single father. Her mother died in a car crash when she was only two, so her dad did the best he could do, but she just never fit in. Serving as a nurse, she is confident in her work, but her personal life is the pits and she has no real friends.

Lt. Tom MacGilliver has the same issue, but he is outgoing, always the fun guy, but never reall...more

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Sep 17, 2012 Kate rated it 5 of 5 stars

There is war looming on the horizon, yet, in the age of differences the heart is full with similar thoughts.

Lt. Philomela Blake (Mellie), nurse, is paired with a group of other nurses who each longs to prove herself useful. Mellie is given a challenge to write letters anonymously to a soldier to improve morale.

Lt. Thomas MacGuiver is the recipient. When he reads her letter he is intrigued by what he has read. The sender is oceans away.

Two souls, two hearts, one mission.
Each has a duty to perform...more

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Sep 16, 2012 Kathleen E. rated it 5 of 5 stars

Monday, September 17, 2012
With Every Letter by Sarah Sundin, c2012

At Last Lyrics by Etta James
At last, my love has come along
My lonely days are over
And life is like a song
Oh, yeah, at last
The skies above are blue
My heart was wrapped up in clovers
The night I looked at you
I found a dream that I could speak to
A dream that I can call my own
I found a thrill to rest my cheek to
A thrill that I have never known
Oh, yeah when you smile, you smile
Oh, and then the spell was cast
And here we ar...more

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Sep 16, 2012 Gabrielle Meyer rated it 4 of 5 stars

I love reading historical novels, and I've read quite a few, but never have I read one quite like With Every Letter, by Sarah Sundin. Everything about this story is unique and well written.

The book is set during WWII and the hero, Tom, is an engineer who is stationed overseas. He has a name everyone in the United States recognizes and links to his father's criminal activities, and because of it, he's never had a true friend.

The heroine, Mellie, is a flight nurse and was raised in the Philippine...more

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Sep 16, 2012 Meagan Myhren-bennett rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: american, christian, family, forgiveness, friendship, history, fiction, romance, war

WITH EVERY LETTER

Wings of the Nightingale Series 1

by Sarah Sundin

Lieutenant Philomela “Mellie” Blake and Lieutenant Thomas MacGilliver have never met but they are about to be the best thing to every happen to each other. An assignment to boost troop morale has brought them together through anonymously written letters.

Mellie, raised by her father, spent half her childhood in the jungle. Her unusual upbringing has left her unprepared to make friends and Mellie needs to make friends if she hopes to...more

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Sep 15, 2012 Lisa Johnson rated it 5 of 5 stars

Title: With Every Letter
Author: Sarah Sundin
Year: 2012
Pages: 425
Publisher: Revell
Note: I received a complimentary copy for an honest review of this book. The opinions shared in this review are solely my responsibility. Other reviews can be read at http://seekingwithallyurheart.blogspo... . Also follow me on Twitter @lcjohnson1988, FaceBook at https://www.facebook.com/lisa.johnson...
With Every Letter is set in the time frame of World War II, with two main characters. First, we have a nurse named...more Title: With Every Letter
Author: Sarah Sundin
Year: 2012
Pages: 425
Publisher: Revell
Note: I received a complimentary copy for an honest review of this book. The opinions shared in this review are solely my responsibility. Other reviews can be read at http://seekingwithallyurheart.blogspo... . Also follow me on Twitter @lcjohnson1988, FaceBook at https://www.facebook.com/lisa.johnson...
With Every Letter is set in the time frame of World War II, with two main characters. First, we have a nurse named Lt. Mellie Blake whose physical features tend to set her apart from her peers. Mellie has a heart to serve. Her father is in a Japanese prison camp, which brings deep concern for him to her heart daily. Second, we have Lt. Thomas MacGilliver, who serves as an engineer in the army. He has a past that brings heartache and daily questions about who he is because of his father’s actions. Tom wants to be the exact opposite of this man, but like Mellie is very guarded because neither one wants more heartache.
During this time of war, an Army wife starts up a letter writing campaign to ease the hearts of men as well as women who are lonely. There are rules like anonymity between parties who decide to be pen pals, no revealing of their real names, places of service, nothing. In this one act of kindness, both Mellie and Tom decide that being unknown makes this a safe venue for sharing things they wouldn’t share with anyone else. They both bring to their letters the aspects of their mutual faith in God, praying for each other daily and sharing Scripture.
Learning new skills is one trial and trying to convince the brass that nurses should be allowed on Evac flights is something different. It takes weeks of training on how to unload, put together, load, and secure stretchers inside the cargo plane. Then when the brass come to see a demonstration of the nurses skills, the nurses experience the hard fact that nurses aren’t welcome at the front or on a plane. Finally, risking her career in the Army Evac Unit as a nurse, one lone speaker stands up to the general to voice her opinion. Would the general give permission for the program, supplies, and nurses to fly to the front to give aid with the hope of saving more lives?
Other characters in the story help to complete the picture in the mind of this reader. Though fictional in nature, the characters show us what true friendship looks like, the nature of love and waiting for it, conflict, forgiveness, and a host of others. The story also reveals how we all need to depend on the Lord for all things at all times. Trusting in His plan and perfect timing isn’t easy, but worth it when all is said and done.
This is the first book by this author that I have read, and I plan on reading her other books already published. All it takes to enjoy the novel is the time to read it and share it with others.
My rating is 5 stars.
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Sep 14, 2012 Amy Bradsher rated it 4 of 5 stars

With Every Letter is a really fun book, despite the seriousness of the characters' situations and the war happening in the background. Mellie and Tom are brave and persistent, using humor to defuse the tenseness of their situations and leaning on each other to push through the hardest times. Throw in Tom's rat-loving dog, and you've got a cast of characters who are honest, real, and would make great friends.

Sundin paints a colorful picture of the war in North Africa, vivid enough to make pictur...more

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Sep 13, 2012 Renee rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: christian-fiction, favorites

Part Shop Around the Corner and part Cherry Ames Flight Nurse, With Every Letter tells the story of two lonely people who find love—even though they haven’t met face-to-face.

Set during World War II, the story focuses on Lt. Mellie Blake, a young woman supporting the war effort as a flight nurse, and Lt. Tom MacGilliver, an engineer doing his duty in North Africa. Though these two are brave and competent before their coworkers, they are both guarding inner vulnerabilities resulting from painful...more

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Sep 13, 2012 TAMMY CUEVAS rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: christian-fiction, wwii-related-fiction

It's 1942, and the United States has joined the War. Patriotism is at an all-time high, and there is a group of nurses who are eager to become the first flight nurses for the U. S. Army Air Force. Philomela Blake is one of the nurses who are being trained to assist in air evacuation. When Lieutenant Newman, the chief nurse, announces a new morale-building program, she requires full participation; that means even Philomela. The program is an anonymous pen pal program between her nurses and the of...more It's 1942, and the United States has joined the War. Patriotism is at an all-time high, and there is a group of nurses who are eager to become the first flight nurses for the U. S. Army Air Force. Philomela Blake is one of the nurses who are being trained to assist in air evacuation. When Lieutenant Newman, the chief nurse, announces a new morale-building program, she requires full participation; that means even Philomela. The program is an anonymous pen pal program between her nurses and the officers in her husband's unit. Philomela agrees reluctantly, knowing that she has never known how to befriend others. As their correspondence ensues, the question is whether the resulting friendship and growing love will withstand a face-to-face meeting, or if it was destined to only be an anonymous courtship.

First, I will admit that I'm compulsively drawn to WWII-era stories like this. There was no question of whether or not I would read and review this book. Ms. Sundin has done an excellent job of portraying the era and locales. She researched the history of the flight nurses extensively, and it shows in her writing. The characters were interesting, and the story kept me hooked. While the ending was predictable, I still had to know HOW it happened. My only criticism, and I hesitate to use that word, is that the characters' personalities and problems were a bit overdone. Philomela was socially inept to the point of being unbelievable, and to think that everyone seemed to know the horrible secret of Tom's family was a bit of a reach. But it's not enough of a problem to ruin the story, so disregard my complaining, and read the book. It's that good.

4 stars

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the Litfuse Publicity Group book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

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Sep 13, 2012 Barbara rated it 5 of 5 stars

I love Sarah's books. The characters are full and realistic. So far all of her books have been set in WWII. In this one, an officer institutes a morale-boosting program of letter writing between male soldiers and female flight nurses. Mellie is shy both in personality and because her unconventional heritage and looks cause most men not to view her in a romantic light. So the anonymous letter writing appeals to her, as it does to Tom, whose father is a famous killer, which is a hindrance to peopl...more

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Sep 12, 2012 Christian Fiction Addiction rated it 5 of 5 stars

I absolutely loved this book, from the interesting historical setting of Mellie being a flight evacuation nurse in World War II, to the book's well-developed and satisfying romantic elements that will truly capture the interest of both female and male readers. Tom and Mellie are fantastic characters with insecurities that any reader will identify with, such as Tom's struggle to overcome his childhood and learn what it means to be a man, and Mellie's difficulty viewing herself as a woman of beaut...more

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Sep 06, 2012 Carla Stewart rated it 5 of 5 stars

In WITH EVERY LETTER, Sarah does a terrific job of developing two characters who are talented and have great hearts, but are misfits in society in their own unique ways. Mellie thinks she is plain and could never attract a man, while Tom struggles with his father’s murderous past and believes he could have the same tendency. Mellie and Tom are paired up to be anonymous pen pals in a morale boosting endeavor a la “You’ve Got Mail” style. And just like in the movie, they don’t know each other’s tr...more

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Sep 05, 2012 Karen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Lieutenant Mellie Blake happily serves her country, now deeply involved in World War 2. She didn't have friends as a child, having lived overseas part time due to her father's job. As an adult, she's had difficulty making friends, so she keeps a professional distance from the other Army nurses. This plan works just fine, until her supervisors order her to make friends and fit in or else.

Tom MacGilliver, also a Lieutenant in the United States Army, keeps a low profile for other reasons. His fathe...more

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Sep 03, 2012 Linda rated it 5 of 5 stars

Sarah Sundin's first series put her on my must-read list of authors, and when I saw she was writing about the nurses in World War II, I was even more eager to get this book! With Every Letter is historical romance at its best. Sundin uses the setting and circumstances of the war to infuse realistic drama and fervor into the story without bogging the reader down with excessive historical details. I ached for both Mellie and Tom and the emotional scars that each bore from their childhood. Sundin b...more

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Sep 01, 2012 Louise rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: christian-fiction

Story Description:

Price: $14.99
ISBN: 978-0-8007-2081-0
ISBN-10: 0-8007-2081-4
Dimensions: 5.5 x 8.5
Number of pages: 432
Carton Quantity: 40
Publication Date: Sep. 2012
Formats: Paperback

They know everything about each other--except their real names.
Lt. Mellie Blake is looking forward to beginning her training as a flight nurse. She is not looking forward to writing a letter to a man she's never met--even if it is anonymous and part of a morale-building program. Lt. Tom MacGilliver, an officer station...more

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Aug 29, 2012 Elizabeth Baker rated it 5 of 5 stars

When the leader of Mellie’s military unit comes up with the idea of her nurses exchanging anonymous letters with soldiers from her husband’s command, an unexpected future begins to unfold. Two socially challenged, reluctant, misunderstood hearts exchange letters of mutual encouragement and slowly love blooms. As World War II rages all around, these lonely hearts soon know everything about each other—expect their real names.

No book doesn’t exists that can honestly be said to have something for ev...more When the leader of Mellie’s military unit comes up with the idea of her nurses exchanging anonymous letters with soldiers from her husband’s command, an unexpected future begins to unfold. Two socially challenged, reluctant, misunderstood hearts exchange letters of mutual encouragement and slowly love blooms. As World War II rages all around, these lonely hearts soon know everything about each other—expect their real names.

No book doesn’t exists that can honestly be said to have something for everyone, but With Every Letter by Sarah Sundin comes close. The active prose, believable plot, and characters that quickly draw the reader into their world make With Every Letter a work that will both educate and entertain a wide variety of taste and ages.

The romantic aspects of With Every Letter will appeal to teens as well as adults. Romance scenes are well depicted and tender without being graphic or sensual. Yet, the characters and plot are anything but trite. The situations and dialogue feel like real possibilities in which genuine Christian young adults might engage.

Readers past sixty and history buffs who study the WWII era will enjoy a memory provoking visit to the European theater as they trace the Allie offensive through North Africa and Italy. Sundin’s excellent powers of description and meticulous research combine to paint scenes that are clear and easy to imagine but overburdened with extraneous detail that add nothing to the story.

However, for me, the most rewarding aspect of the book was the maturing and moral development of the characters. It is not easy for an author to teach without being preachy, but With Every Letter pulls off the accomplishment with ease. The nuances and responsibilities of friendship are explored through the eyes Mellie and Tom as they struggle independently to fit into new social structures and advise one another with scripture and common sense. They both make excellent role models for anyone who is socially ill at ease.

This book lifts and encourages while transporting the reader to another time and place where courage was valued and problems didn’t always have simple solutions, yet hope is found by risking on God. We have far too few of these type books on the shelves. I plan to pass my copy of With Every Letter on to Bethel Christian Academy and will probably purchase another for our local library.
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May 16, 2013 Debbie rated it 4 of 5 stars

With Every Letter by Sarah Sundin

This was a wonderful WWII novel filled with history, romance, and mystery. Lt. Mellie Blake is following her dream, to become one of the first flight nurses used in evacuating injured soldiers. The only problem is she's extremely shy, doesn't make friends, and thinks herself to be ugly. One of the higher ranking officer's wife's propose a pen pal campaign to help keep the morale of the men in her husband's troop high...but it has to be kept anonymous.

Lt. Tom Mac...more

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Sep 28, 2012 Ruth Hill rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance

This book has it all--romance, history, and a beautiful Christian message. I love historical fiction, and this is exactly what I love. I appreciated the fact that the hero and heroine both struggled to fit in--maybe because I oculd somewhat identify. I saw some of myself in Mellie, and probably less of myself in Tom, but I enjoyed these characters immensely. Every character was well-developed and played a part in the development of the story.

I appreciated the fact that the author tried to stay a...more

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About Sarah Sundin

Sarah Sundin enjoys writing about the drama and romance of the World War II era. The Wings of the Nightingale series (With Every Letter, 2012, On Distant Shores, August 2013, and In Perfect Time, August 2014) follows three World War II flight nurses as they find love, friendship, and peril in the skies and on the shores of the Mediterranean. The Wings of Glory series from Revell (A Distant Melody,...more

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Books by Sarah Sundin

A Memory Between Us (Wings of Glory, #2)

On Distant Shores (Wings of the Nightingale, #2)

In Perfect Time (Wings of the Nightingale, #3)

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With Every Letter (Wings of the Nightingale #1)

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