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Home Front
In January of 1944, the United States is fighting a war on two fronts--Europe and Asia--as eighteen-year-old Vee Hammontree bravely travels from Missouri to Idaho where she intends to marry her high-school sweetheart. Both her fiance, Robert, and her older brother, Eugene, have enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps in the hopes of saving the world from tyranny. While the U.S. troops are fighting oversees, Vee resolves to contribute to the war effort by joining the workforce at Pratt&Whitney to build airplane engines--something that could help ensure the survival of both her husband and her brother. Like others on the home front, she becomes a woman laborer, works to boost morale for the ones who are serving, and makes the ultimate sacrifice--losing one of her own. "Home Front" weaves together two true stories of sacrifice--one gleaned from Vee's personal diaries of the 1940s, the other through letters home from the war.
246 pages, Hardcover
Published October 26, 2020
About the author
Melinda B Hipple
11 books78 followersMelinda B Hipple is a novelist, poet, illustrator and editor. Author of RAVEN, Home Front and Behind the Mask, she was winner of the 2014 Moorman Prize for Prose. In 2018, her community honored her with their "Excellence in Literary Arts Award." Her most recent book release, Three Minutes of my Time, is a compilation of seven decades of life experiences in essay form with a touch of poetry.
Her poems and short stories have appeared in numerous print and online publications, including three poems anthologized in First Water: Best of Pirene's Fountain. She was an editor of Japanese short-form poetry for three online journals, and has published the chapbook in a bottle of ink which includes haiku, tanka, haibun, and a primer on writing short-form poetry in the Japanese tradition.
Melinda published two children's books—Ant Trails and Who Lives on the Moon?—which she wrote and illustrated when her son was very young. Boxes, released in 2022, is a young adult chapter book.
Melinda received her BA in creative writing from Baker University. She was the 2016 editor of the annual literary magazine Watershed and edits poetry and novel manuscripts for other authors. Her artwork graces a number of covers including Floodwater by Connie Post, and Ribcage by Joan Colby.
Her poems and short stories have appeared in numerous print and online publications, including three poems anthologized in First Water: Best of Pirene's Fountain. She was an editor of Japanese short-form poetry for three online journals, and has published the chapbook in a bottle of ink which includes haiku, tanka, haibun, and a primer on writing short-form poetry in the Japanese tradition.
Melinda published two children's books—Ant Trails and Who Lives on the Moon?—which she wrote and illustrated when her son was very young. Boxes, released in 2022, is a young adult chapter book.
Melinda received her BA in creative writing from Baker University. She was the 2016 editor of the annual literary magazine Watershed and edits poetry and novel manuscripts for other authors. Her artwork graces a number of covers including Floodwater by Connie Post, and Ribcage by Joan Colby.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
January 18, 2026
Home Front is a touching and beautifully written story that captures love, sacrifice, and resilience during a powerful moment in history. The emotional depth and personal details make it feel authentic and heartfelt. A meaningful and memorable read.
August 29, 2021
Home Front is a true and heartbreaking story based on the WWII diaries of Velma Beckerdite.
In 1942, the United States are fighting the war on both the European and Asian front, and during these challenging times Velma find the courage to travel all the way to Idaho to marry her high-school sweetheart, Robert, who has joined the war effort, alongside Gene, Velma’s brother.
Thought the many correspondences included in the book, it’s palpable the distress, struggle and grief, but mainly bravery that many have had faced during WWII.
I honestly felt quite immersed in the story and could almost imagine myself next to Vee reading the letters myself.
Only thing I would note down, as at a certain point it did a bit bother me, was the constant repetition of the word “swell”. I thought it was overly used.
In 1942, the United States are fighting the war on both the European and Asian front, and during these challenging times Velma find the courage to travel all the way to Idaho to marry her high-school sweetheart, Robert, who has joined the war effort, alongside Gene, Velma’s brother.
Thought the many correspondences included in the book, it’s palpable the distress, struggle and grief, but mainly bravery that many have had faced during WWII.
I honestly felt quite immersed in the story and could almost imagine myself next to Vee reading the letters myself.
Only thing I would note down, as at a certain point it did a bit bother me, was the constant repetition of the word “swell”. I thought it was overly used.
February 5, 2021
It’s such a treat to read any books by my sweet friend, Melinda B Hipple. It’s a beautiful and heart wrenching story set in the early 1940s during the Second World War. I truly loved this book and how seamlessly she was able to weave in letters from her uncle (and others) with her mother’s diary. I enjoyed all of the local Kansas City references and found myself wishing to have seen Union Station and other local landmarks mentioned in the story during that time. The history truly came alive for me!
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews