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As Long As I Have You (Children of the Promise #5)
by
Dean Hughes
The war is over, and the Thomas family is slowly coming back together at home in Salt Lake City. But that doesn't mean all is well in Zion.
In As Long As I Have You, the final volume of the Children of the Promise series, author Dean Hughes presents a moving picture of what life was like for an ordinary LDS family at the end of World War II.
In As Long As I Have You, the final volume of the Children of the Promise series, author Dean Hughes presents a moving picture of what life was like for an ordinary LDS family at the end of World War II.
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Community Reviews
(showing 1-30)
Dean Hughes has managed to make the Thomas family and all they interacted with seem real to me. I think he put it best in his afterward. "..I will miss the Thomases. I know that they only exist when I put words in their mouths or invent their actions, but it doesn't seem so to me. They seem like friends, or family, with all the complexities of real human beings." Not only did he make the characters "real" to me, but I feel like I have been on the battlefield with Alex, in a prison camp with Wall
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I can't help but feel some sadness as I finish this series. I've grown to love these characters immensely and saying goodbye to them at this point in their lives was difficult. A great book should make you feel things and touch you deeply. This novel/series did just that. Overall- very well done. I loved it!
Forget ourselves. The more we look inside the worse things seem. Concentrate on others suffering and we won't have time to think about ourselves. When we do that, God heals us. There is no way we can know all the things that the Lord has in store for us. Prepare ourselves the best way we know how, and work hard at whatever we do; be the best we can, give the best we can. If we do something well, someone will come along and give us another opportunity. When an opportunity comes, pray about it. Wh
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I just finished this series and so I am reviewing them as a whole. I loved them! I really appreciate it when an author takes the time to do research, include it correctly - in detail - in their books and then even give references at the end. I thought the characters had depth and it was interesting to "see" them change over time. But what I really loved about this series is the appreciation it gave me for those who not only fought in WWII but in all wars. I don't believe I could ever understand
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I really enjoyed this whole series. This book, being the last, was my quickest read. I'm a decent reader, but I don't consider myself a very fast reader. I couldn't put this book down and finished it a lot quicker than I expected to (still may not be fast in the eyes of "speed readers"). I love that the history is as accurate as possible. Dean Hughes is very thorough with his research and it made me feel as if I was really there, or if I knew exactly what the WWII era was really like. I would hi
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Al Thomas drives me nuts. So does LaRue. And sometimes Bobbi. And yet, some of the other characters have me wrapped up in knots and I just may end up reading some of the next series because I want so much to find out what happens to them... Peter, Wally, Alex... hmmmm. I'm really torn. Again, I enjoyed the historical perspective but some of the characters and writing style really took away from my enjoyment. I seemed to have a love/hate relationship with this series. Glad I finally finished... w
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Although I only read this book to finish the series, I ended up liking it best. This book is about the lives of the Thomas family as they returned from war and tried to put their lives back together. So many books about the war years end when the war ends. This book continued through the aftermath of WW II and showed how the tragedy of war continues to effect all people after treaties are signed and soldier are brought home.
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I loved the whole series! I learned so much about the time & a bit how it would have been like to live back then. My heart was with the characters the whole time. I couldn't put the last book down, I wanted to see how things panned out but then it was hard to see it end. I'll definitely read the next series that spins off this one really soon.
I don't read many books from LDS authors, it's just not my thing, but I LOVED this series. It was very interesting historically as well as feeling like the family actually existed. A great read.
Good ending to the series. A little unbelievable that everyone got what they wanted.
I'm just sitting here thinking: what the heck am I supposed to read next? I never thought this moment would happen-- I didn't want it to happen. But alas, the day is come, and I have no idea what to read next.
The war is such a more real thing to me now. While I have always loved this time period since I was a child, I guess I never really fully understood what they went through. I feel so grateful that America got through those awful years, and the sacrifice the soldiers gave- and for the lesso ...more
The war is such a more real thing to me now. While I have always loved this time period since I was a child, I guess I never really fully understood what they went through. I feel so grateful that America got through those awful years, and the sacrifice the soldiers gave- and for the lesso ...more
I'm sad this series of books is over. I have loved learning from the Thomas Family and their experiences during World War II from all across the world and from many difference perspectives. This last book told the stories of family coming back together after the war ended. I appreciated the importance of this book. The story doesn't end when the war ends, and many of the difficulties continued or ever began after it was over. The war changed individuals and the world. It wasn't as easy to come h
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Couldn't put it down. Fell in love with the whole family, and felt great relief as each overcame war-time burdens. Go team! Go!
In the beginning of this book, Alex has decided that after the war, he was going to go home and live with Anna and see his son, Gene. For his work, Alex had to stay in Germany for a little bit longer after the war was over. Meanwhile back in America, Wally goes home and he can't say how good it is to be home. Then the girl he loved before he went to war, told him that she loved him and they got married. Bobbi and Richard got married and they were all back home soon enough. All of the sons and s
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I have finished “As Long as I Have You”, #5 in the “Children of the Promise” series. This last volume chronicles the end of WWII and the return of each military member of the Thomas Family to Utah. It was a joyous time, but not at all easy. The horrors of war have left their marks on each one. It is a time to heal and try to face post-war life.
I am touched by a statement from author Dean Hughes in his ‘Afterword’: (Pg. 468) “Writing these novels has deepened my respect for the generation that s ...more
I am touched by a statement from author Dean Hughes in his ‘Afterword’: (Pg. 468) “Writing these novels has deepened my respect for the generation that s ...more
I'll admit I was tired of the Thomas family at this point, 2000 pages into the series. I read this book to get through it, mainly so I wouldn't have it hanging over my head to do later after I had forgotten everything.
The war ends, people come home, and everyone takes stock of the situation. The veterans have to deal with PTSD and the women find themselves pushed, sometimes unwillingly, back into a domestic role. Changes are imminent for the country and for the world.
Unfortunately, our character ...more
The war ends, people come home, and everyone takes stock of the situation. The veterans have to deal with PTSD and the women find themselves pushed, sometimes unwillingly, back into a domestic role. Changes are imminent for the country and for the world.
Unfortunately, our character ...more
I really enjoyed this series and felt I gained some insight into things that happened during the WWII era. There is a lot I learned and some things that confirmed what I already knew. I appreciate that the author went to such great lengths to be sure to get the history correct. Learning about the research he did as he wrote made me enjoy the books more and helped me not to question too much about the history as I read, which is nice for an historical-fiction novel. I also like that the 5th book
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I really loved this book! What a great conclusion to the series. We start where we left off, with the war over, but Alex, Wally and Bobbi still away from home. Wally is finally liberated and on his way home with his friend, Chuck, but when they arrive stateside they find it's a little harder to adjust to being home than they expected. But the one who has the hardest time making the change from army life to civilian life is Alex. As happy as he is to be home with Anna and their baby, he's jumpy a
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American history is my absolute favorite school subject! This is the reason Historical Fiction is my favorite book genre. WWII, however, has always been the part of our history that I only learned what was needed to "pass the tests" this being because of all the things that happened to the Jews. It was always a very hard thing for me to think about. I have owned the Children of the Promise book series for over 5 years now and finally brought myself to read them THANKS to my father in law. This b
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This one almost made it to four stars, but not quite. I acutally found it to be one of the more interstering of the series, since I am fascinated by how war affects different people. Of course, Wally continued to be my favorite character to the end. He didn't disappappoint. None of these books every made me cry our laugh aloud. The ending was just about right--it wasn't a "happily ever after" nor was it wondering what happened for the rest of their lives. I enjoyed this series, but am happy to b
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Oooh I really want to give this 3.5 stars, but clicking on that 3rd star seems too harsh. I definitely didn't like it as much as the others for this main reason: this book happens after WWII is over and details all the reunions <---- which are WONDERFUL and each brought me to tears. But after all of the reuniting is done and over with...it seems that there is just 100-200 pages of filler with very little plot. The first four books were full of plot development and struggle in the various bran
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I absolutely loved this whole series! I fineshed this book today and have found that I will "miss" the Thomas/Stoltz family. I fell in love with all the characters, esp Wally. Larue and Bobbi had their moments but I loved them too. This series does a wonderful job of depicting the way that war effects different people. I was pleasantly surprised how Alex and Wally seemed to switch rolls. I thought the storyline was done very well tying it in to WWII. The end was great and just wrapped it all up
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I absolutely love this series of books. It is a great history of the World War II era and how it affected a regular family trying to deal with the loss and changes the war brought. It is LDS historical fiction, so it's about an LDS family living in Salt Lake City during the war. It follows the story of the six children in the family: Alex, Wally, Bobbi, Gene, LaRue, and Beverly. The four oldest go off to fight the war; Alex in the army, Wally in the Army Air Corps, Bobbi as a nurse in the navy,
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This was the last book in the series (of 5 books)
I enjoyed the entire story of this family who struggled through the trials of WWII and the aftermath of re-starting their lives. I did feel that at the end, it was hard for the author to wrap things up after so long of a story. It ended up a bit long for me and I was anxious for it to be over. Overall, I think the series helped me to understand wars and the pain and suffering that results from selfishness of world leaders. I enjoyed the placement ...more
I enjoyed the entire story of this family who struggled through the trials of WWII and the aftermath of re-starting their lives. I did feel that at the end, it was hard for the author to wrap things up after so long of a story. It ended up a bit long for me and I was anxious for it to be over. Overall, I think the series helped me to understand wars and the pain and suffering that results from selfishness of world leaders. I enjoyed the placement ...more
This one was a little hard for me to read. First of all, it was a little preachier than the others, which is often what turns me off about LDS fiction. BUT, while it had some 5 star moments (particularly at the beginning), this book kind of ran out of gas a little (for me.) And as selfish as it sounds, I found myself in TEARS more often than not, because of how touching the reunions were, but more because my grandpa never got that reunion with his little brother. My grandma never got to give her
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This was my second time to read the Children of the Promise series, and I loved it. I have learned so much about WWII from these books and my favorite part about it is imagining the life of my own grandparents during this time. My grandfather was in the Navy and his ship was in Pearl Harbor when Pearl Harbor was bombed on Dec 7, 1941. I loved getting a sense of the times and the attitudes of the country and the experiences of the soldiers and the families during the war.
Not only has Dean Hughes ...more
Not only has Dean Hughes ...more
LOVED this book, LOVED the series! I never could have learned so much about this time in history without reading this series. I remember telling my husband, "Did you know America was at war with Germany and Japan at the same time?" He said, "Yea, that's why it was called a world war." I knew there was more than one war going on, I just didn't understand (or had completly forgotten) that we were fighting both of them. Years ago I worked in Sun City. I would see bumper stickers that said POW and I
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This is my summary of the entire series. I love this series of books. It is a great history of the World War II and how it affected a regular family trying to deal with the changes the war brought. It is LDS historical fiction, so it's about an LDS family living in Salt Lake City during the war. It follows the story of the six children in the family. The four oldest go off to fight the war; Alex in the army, Wally in the Army Air Corps, Bobbi as a nurse in the navy, and Gene in the Marines. It i
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Dean Hughes is the author of more than eighty books for young readers, including the popular sports series Angel Park All-Stars, the Scrappers series, the Nutty series, the widely acclaimed companion novels Family Pose and Team Picture, and Search and Destroy. Soldier Boys was selected for the 2001 New York Public Library Books for the Teen Age list. Dean Hughes and his wife, Kathleen, have three
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Other Books in the Series
Children of the Promise
(5 books)
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“The war must have broken God's heart, Anna. How could he stand to watch what we did to each other?”
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3 likes
“I think he'll accept the gospel in the next life," Afton said.
Bobbi was stunned by the response.
"Afton, what do you mean?" she said. "That is the gospel.”
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More quotes…
Bobbi was stunned by the response.
"Afton, what do you mean?" she said. "That is the gospel.”
