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Faith on the Home Front #1
Home Fires Burning
Series premiere special price! Link Winsom and his friend Owen Slaughter find themselves on the way to England and eventually onto the battlefield of France. The men fight for survival, while the women in their lives must face their fears and deepen their faith as they await the safe return of the men they love. When the men are presumed dead, their loved ones must rely on God's grace to help them through the loss.
345 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1996
1 person is currently reading
79 people want to read
About the author
Penelope J. Stokes
44 books181 followersIt’s often been debated whether a person’s destiny lies in genetics or environment, but either way, I suppose I was destined to be a fiction writer. A Baby Boomer with an English teacher and a social worker for parents, I grew up being challenged to develop my imagination, and to seek out for myself the meaning and significance of life. I learned early both the magic and mystery of stories and the importance of people–their dreams, their hopes, their longings, their struggles.
From the age of four, when I first learned to read and discovered that words had incredible power, I dreamed of being a writer. But the fulfillment of that dream was a long time in coming. Ten years of university study, culminating in a Ph.D. in Renaissance Literature, led me to a career as a college professor. I loved teaching, loved the students and the challenge and the interaction, but the longing for full-time expression of my creativity never died. Finally, after twelve years of college teaching, I left the classroom and turned my energy toward my life’s passion–writing fiction.
In the process, I discovered another passion–the magnificent grandeur of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Western North Carolina.
I was raised in Mississippi, and as a child I remember family vacations to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. I loved the undulating layers of blue and purple and green, the rushing streams coming down over the rocks, the cool glades and misty mornings. And now I live here—in the shadow of the Blue Ridge near DuPont Forest, where rare and remarkable white squirrels chatter wisdom to me from the trees outside my office window.
White squirrel in TamaracBut scenery can only take you so far. Fiction is about people. Not just what happens to them, but about what happens in them–the spiritual, emotional, and psychological passages that lead people to an understanding of their inner selves, and of one another. That’s what I like to write about: the heart, the mind, the soul. Authenticity of character and profound spiritual transformation. I want to draw my readers into a different kind of world–one marked by purpose, significance, and hope. Most importantly, hope.
Some readers have criticized me for dealing with uncomfortable subjects in my fiction–subjects which do not lend themselves to easy answers. The truth is, there are no easy answers in life. There are not even any easy questions. Over the years I’ve come to the conclusion that our character is determined not so much by the certainties we cling to, but by the uncertainties we are courageous enough to face.
At the end of the day, only a few things in life really matter: Love. Insight. Growth. Grace. When we’re committed to going deeper, to following the unknown path, our journey can lead us to an understanding of our own our inner being, to a connection with a power that is both within us and beyond us. And that understanding, that connection, gives meaning and purpose to our days.
From the age of four, when I first learned to read and discovered that words had incredible power, I dreamed of being a writer. But the fulfillment of that dream was a long time in coming. Ten years of university study, culminating in a Ph.D. in Renaissance Literature, led me to a career as a college professor. I loved teaching, loved the students and the challenge and the interaction, but the longing for full-time expression of my creativity never died. Finally, after twelve years of college teaching, I left the classroom and turned my energy toward my life’s passion–writing fiction.
In the process, I discovered another passion–the magnificent grandeur of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Western North Carolina.
I was raised in Mississippi, and as a child I remember family vacations to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. I loved the undulating layers of blue and purple and green, the rushing streams coming down over the rocks, the cool glades and misty mornings. And now I live here—in the shadow of the Blue Ridge near DuPont Forest, where rare and remarkable white squirrels chatter wisdom to me from the trees outside my office window.
White squirrel in TamaracBut scenery can only take you so far. Fiction is about people. Not just what happens to them, but about what happens in them–the spiritual, emotional, and psychological passages that lead people to an understanding of their inner selves, and of one another. That’s what I like to write about: the heart, the mind, the soul. Authenticity of character and profound spiritual transformation. I want to draw my readers into a different kind of world–one marked by purpose, significance, and hope. Most importantly, hope.
Some readers have criticized me for dealing with uncomfortable subjects in my fiction–subjects which do not lend themselves to easy answers. The truth is, there are no easy answers in life. There are not even any easy questions. Over the years I’ve come to the conclusion that our character is determined not so much by the certainties we cling to, but by the uncertainties we are courageous enough to face.
At the end of the day, only a few things in life really matter: Love. Insight. Growth. Grace. When we’re committed to going deeper, to following the unknown path, our journey can lead us to an understanding of our own our inner being, to a connection with a power that is both within us and beyond us. And that understanding, that connection, gives meaning and purpose to our days.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
January 5, 2009
Ahhh these books were sooooo good! I found one at my local library way back when, but then ordered the rest off half.com because they are out of print. It took me awhile to get some of them at a decent price too. Unfortunately I turned around and sold them again. I would love to reread them right now.
I'm not sure what other Christian romance authors there are out there but most of them drive me CUH-RAZY with all the good girl/good boy crap that goes on. These didn't bug me once, and I can't remember specifically why, but I'm thinking it had to do with the fact that they were REAL characters and not goody-two-shoes characters out of a manners book.
I'm not sure what other Christian romance authors there are out there but most of them drive me CUH-RAZY with all the good girl/good boy crap that goes on. These didn't bug me once, and I can't remember specifically why, but I'm thinking it had to do with the fact that they were REAL characters and not goody-two-shoes characters out of a manners book.
May 17, 2024
I loved it a lot!
This is the second book I read set in Mississippi, (miles from where I grew up) not many people write about it.
I can't wait to read the next book!
This is the second book I read set in Mississippi, (miles from where I grew up) not many people write about it.
I can't wait to read the next book!
August 26, 2011
Loved, loved, loved this book. After I finished it, I found the other two in the trilogy at the library and read those, too, one right after the other. I'm so glad that I didn't have to wait years until the next one came out.
This trilogy really brings out the hardships my parents' generation went through during WWII and made me appreciate their sacrifices so much more. And yet, they held their heads high and did what they had to do to survive those war years. Penelope Stokes made everyone and everything come alive; I couldn't stop reading to see how it all turned out. Keep a box of tissues handy to wipe away tears of both sorrow and joy.
This trilogy really brings out the hardships my parents' generation went through during WWII and made me appreciate their sacrifices so much more. And yet, they held their heads high and did what they had to do to survive those war years. Penelope Stokes made everyone and everything come alive; I couldn't stop reading to see how it all turned out. Keep a box of tissues handy to wipe away tears of both sorrow and joy.
February 27, 2010
As the daughter of a WW2 vet, I can only imagine some of the sleepless nights my mother endured as Daddy spent 30 monthsoversees in the European Theater. This book was so touching.
April 11, 2011
My mom passed this one along to me...I really enjoyed it, and read it really fast!
October 19, 2013
Nice blend of romance, religion, and WWII.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews