Sarah Sundin's Blog, page 520

Book Beat - To Win Her Heart

I've found a new author to add to my must-read list. Karen Witemeyer's novels brim over with romance, humor, and well-developed characters, and I chewed through all three in a very short time. To Win Her Heart has a similar setting (Texas in the late 1800s) as the first two novels, A Tailor-Made Bride and Head in the Clouds, but each novel completely stands alone.

Eden Spencer is the wealthy daughter of the town founder, who runs a lending library, makes art from pressed flowers, and abhors violence. Levi Grant is the new town blacksmith who stumbles over his words and has violence hidden in his past. Not a likely pair, but the chemistry between them rings true, and they discover unexpected depth in each other. When Levi rescues the daughter of a saloon girl and then reveals his secret, Eden has to confront the prejudices she holds inside and learn the meaning of redemption and forgiveness.

The characters were so richly developed. I loved Levi's restraint - from how he creatively works around his speech impediment to how he resists the urge to violence. I also loved watching Eden grow from a woman who sees herself as charitable to a woman who actually is charitable. The side characters are delightful as well.

Even if you're not a fan of the Texas frontier - and I'm not - the beautiful writing and fascinating characters will draw you in. I strongly recommend To Win Her Heart and can't wait for Karen Witemeyer's next novel!

Today in World War II History

70 Years Ago—May 18, 1941: Italy annexes Yugoslavian province of Dalmatia.

Today in World War II History

70 Years Ago—May 16, 1941: Blitz officially ends with Luftwaffe attacks on Birmingham and West Midlands. Overall 43,000 civilians have been killed in the Blitz. Italians surrender at Amba Alagi, Ethiopia.

Of Terns and Planes

Conducting research for historical fiction is usually interesting, sometimes dull, but occasionally yields an odd or funny story. Lately, I ran into one of these stories while reading Barry Fowle's Builders and Fighters: US Army Engineers in World War II (Fort Belvoir VA: Office of History, US Army Corps of Engineers, 1992).

During World War II, while the armies of democracy battled the armies of totalitarianism, a smaller battle raged between US Army Engineers and a little bird called the sooty tern.

Airfields Needed

The United States and its "arsenal of democracy" cranked out thousands of fighter planes, bombers, and cargo planes for Allied forces fighting in Britain, North Africa, the Middle East, and the Pacific. Transporting those planes over the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans was a serious problem as the Germans and Japanese expanded their territories. The trans-Atlantic air routes traversed Newfoundland, Greenland, and Iceland, but these routes were hazardous in winter months. A southern route was greatly desired.

Ascension Island

Conveniently located about halfway between South America and Africa, the British territory of Ascension Island offered an alternative. This little 34-square-mile volcanic island has no natural harbor, but has flat areas ideal for airfields.

Wideawake Field

In February 1942, the 38th Combat Engineer Battalion of the US Army Corps of Engineers arrived to build Wideawake Field, named for native sooty terns, also called "wideawakes" for their sleep-disturbing calls. The engineers began building a 6000-foot runway in April, which opened for traffic in July 1942. When Brazil declared war on the Axis in August, opening crucial air bases to Allied planes, this route carried large quantities of planes to the front.

The Sooty Tern

However, a large rookery of sooty terns lay at the end of the runway. Takeoffs and landings flushed out clouds of birds, and birds and planes don't mix. Smoke candles and dynamite blasts failed to convince the terns to relocate to other areas of the island. A planeload of cats was brought in. Sadly, as the author writes in Builders and Fighters, "strong-beaked booby birds on the island...found the cats an appetizing treat." Following the advice of ornithologist James Chapin of the American Museum of Natural History, they destroyed 40,000 eggs. The terns wisely relocated to a no-fly zone of the island. The engineers, displaying the resourcefulness and ingenuity of their profession, found the tern's guano made good bricks for constructing base housing.

Today in World War II History

70 Years Ago—May 15, 1941: Gloster-Whittle E28/39 jet engine designed by RAF's Frank Whittle powers aircraft in flight for first time. Sybil Hathaway, Dame of Sark, sent to concentration camp for anti-Nazi activities. British recapture Halfaya Pass on Egypt-Libya border from Germans. Joe DiMaggio begins 56-game hitting streak for New York Yankees.

Today in World War II History

70 Years Ago—May 14, 1941: Nazis arrest 3600 Parisian Jews. British forces approaching from Sudan and Kenya link at Amba Alagi, Ethiopia.

Today in World War II History

70 Years Ago—May 13, 1941: Martin Bormann replaces Rudolf Hess as Nazi Party Chancellor, third in command to Hitler.

Today in World War II History

70 Years Ago—May 12, 1941: Two German bombers carrying Luftwaffe liaison to Iraq land in middle of air battle, and liaison is killed.

Today in World War II History

70 Years Ago—May 11, 1941: Germans complete occupation of Aegean Islands.

Book Beat - A Great Catch by Lorna Seilstad

What a privilege to get to read this novel in advance for endorsement. This is what I said about A Great Catch by Lorna Seilstad..."A grand slam! In a story as refreshing and invigorating as lemonade, Seilstad raises deep questions about a woman's relationship with God, her dreams, and the people in her life - while making me laugh so hard my kids came running to get in on the joke."

Set in 1901 at the lakeside resort of Lake Manawa, Iowa, A Great Catch follows ambitious suffragist Emily Graham and baseball player Carter Stockton. Emily's meddlesome aunts want to make a suitable match for her - and Carter Stockton would be the last man on their list. Fine with Emily because her work leaves little time for men. However, Emily's dream of having the women's "Bloomer Girls" baseball team play an exhibition game against the Manawa Owls comes with the provision that uncoordinated Emily play for the Owls - under Carter's tutelage. Emily and Carter fall for each other, but their dreams leave little room for each other.

On the surface, this is a fun summer read. Seilstad has a light, breezy writing style shot through with humor. The episode with the little pills from her aunties - I almost busted a gasket laughing. But this novel also looks at issues modern women frequently face. What do you do when your goals don't align with the goals of the man you love? Does your work interfere with the relationship? Does your work squeeze out time for the Lord? And how do you deal with these issues?

Any novel that encourages you to examine your heart while making you laugh is a grand slam. Enjoy!