I'll Be Home for Christmas

When I Fall in Love

by Julie L. Cannon

With Bing Crosby's "I'll Be Home for Christmas" playing in the background, Maggie Culpepper and William Byrd proclaim their undying love to one another. But with the U.S. at war and Maggie's personal home front under attack, the Southern belle impetuously joins the WAVES (Women Accepted for Voluntary Emergency Service).

When Christmas draws near and Maggie finds herself miles and miles away from her Georgia hometown...and her beloved William...will she realize that, no matter where she spends Christmas, home is where her heart is?

Genres: Christmas, Christian Fiction, Romance, Historical, Christian, Historical Fiction, Fiction

317 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2010

About the author

Julie L. Cannon is the author of the award-winning Homegrown series, published by Simon & Schuster and described as ‘Southern-fried soul food.’ She switched from the ABA to the CBA, and her novel I’ll Be Home for Christmas, Summerside Press, Sept. ‘10, made the CBA Bestseller List as well as Nielsen’s Top 50 Inspirational Titles. Abingdon Press will release Twang in August 2012, and Scarlett Says in October 2013. When she isn’t busy tending her tomato patch, Julie can be found teaching memoir-writing workshops. She lives in Watkinsville, Georgia. Visit her website at www.julielcannon.com and connect with her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/julieLcannon and on Twitter at JulieLCannon.

Reviews

[Stefanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ll Be Home for Christmas, by Julie Cannon, was a sweet holiday novel set during WWII. I’ve found lately that I’ve been picking up a lot of WWII novels, fascinated with that time period as of late. This particular novel was set in the United States, where Maggie and William, childhood best friends, are navigating their lives during the war. William is deemed a 4-F, which means he is unfit for duty, and instead spends his time maintaining his family’s tree farm. Maggie tries to wrap her head around the recent confession of William’s love for her and also trying to process the grief over the loss of her mother. Unable to process her emotions and instead of facing them, she runs off to join the Navy in the WAVES division. She leaves behind William, her best friend and her family, claiming she is going to be a lifer for the NAVY.
I found myself frustrated with Maggie throughout the book, unable to really connect with her character. The anger and negativity she spewed constantly, especially to her friend Helen that she had met while working in the WAVES, just made me dislike her.
Now, that being said, the story itself was sweet and a good end to my holiday reading pile. Julie Cannon’s writing is smooth and melts on the tongue as you’re reading. I really enjoy a book like that. The historical setting was realistic and I felt myself being transported back to that time. Overall, the story was enjoyable, I just couldn’t get myself to fall for Maggie’s character. I’m sure others can relate to her, I just couldn’t do so.
I would certainly read another of Julie’s books!

[Sommer Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked a lot of things about this story but it was hard for me seeing so much distance between the two main characters for so much of the book. Still, the author did a great job of making this situation work and one has to admire Maggie's fire even if she was annoyingly stubborn at times. All in all a good Christmas read.

[Ruth · Rating 2 out of 5]

For most of Maggie Culpepper's teenage years, the United States has been at war. But in December 1943, Maggie's heart is at war over more than the future of her country. She finds herself finally falling head-over-heels for her best friend William Dove, exempt from military service due to a childhood battle with polio. At the same time she faces the potential loss of her mother, suffering from a debilitating illness. The fragile threads that hold Maggie's life together rip apart when her mother dies. Angry at God for not answering her prayers, and rejecting love out fear of the pain of loss, Maggie enlists in the Navy WAVES and flees her Georgia home for training grounds in New England. But closing the door on her past isn't as easily done as Maggie hoped, as she finds that William's love and the God she rejected aren't easily dismissed.

I'll Be Home for Christmas contains many of the elements I look for in historical fiction - a World War II-era setting, nostalgia and patriotism, and classic standards like the song from which the novel takes its title. That said, these elements didn't quite gel for me. Maggie is an extraordinarily difficult character to feel any sympathy for - yes, she's suffered tragic loss, but her tendency towards self-centeredness seems a tad overdone. Her constant rejection of Will's overtures seemed melodramatic and unnecessarily mean-spirited. Cannon drops many interesting wartime facts throughout the novel, but most of these are delivered through Maggie's attempts to divert conversation from personal matters. I get that it is supposed to be a personality quirk, but it resulted in choppy dialogue. The pages and pages of introspection and Maggie's proclivity to lapse into lengthy dreams about her past with William also slowed the pace of the narrative to a crawl. If these "quirks" or flashbacks were employed more sparingly, their effectiveness would increase, heightening their impact and tightening the narrative flow.

However, on the flip side William's scenes flowed more smoothly and provided a great glimpse into life on the wartime homefront from the perspective of a man classified 4-F (unfit for military service). William's compelling struggle with being the "one left behind" and how that impacts his self-worth is a perspective not often seen in WWII-era fiction. I also loved the fact that William's family owned the local Christmas tree farm - his work was an innovative tie-in to the novel's Christmas theme. I also have to applaud Cannon for her exploration of physical and spiritual "homecomings" by tying Maggie's emotional journey to the classic title song. If the lengthy, repetitious introspective passages were judiciously trimmed, giving the storyline more focus, I could easily see Maggie and William's story translated into a made-for-TV holiday film. The nostalgia factor would be irresistible! While the faith aspect of this storyline tended to be heavy-handed and preachy, I loved the "Longest Night" service that becomes Maggie's turning point - it was a beautiful illustration of faith in the face of shattering loss. While personally I feel Maggie and William's story would work better a short story, Cannon's exploration of homecoming and glimpse into wartime homefront life will provide fans of sweet, nostalgic fiction with much to enjoy - the final package just didn't work for me as I'd hoped.

[Mal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Literally, I cried throughout this book. A must read for sure! We follow along as Maggie struggles with her emotions, heartbreak, and anger towards God for taking her mother causing her to run from her family, friends, and the love of her life. Throughout the book, we also gain encouragement and wisdom from other characters as they open up about their own stories and struggles about life and love and God's faithfulness. Julie L. Cannon did a wonderful job in writing this story. One that'll suck you in and shine hope into your heart as well.

[Sharon Buxton · Rating 4 out of 5]

A. inspirational fiction historical fiction, WWII

[Paula Shreckhise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tearjerker! Pretty good , although the " heroine" seemed a bit childish at times. All's well that ends well!

[Melissa Campbell · Rating 1 out of 5]

So, finally a Christmas book ...
Back story ~ If you remember I like to read Christmas books in November and December, because there are so many good ones I want to read! However, November started with me reading our Book Club book and then I learned that our Faculty Book Club would meet after Thanksgiving, and that book is not a Christmas book either! So, I decided to sneak in a Christmas book in between the two.

I started reading one book I had gotten from the stash at my MILs house, however it was not only NOT a Christian book, I didn't get too far into it to realize this was NOT the type of book I wanted to read! So for the first time in recorded history, I actually stopped reading the book and picked up another one.

Ugh but this book was just a drag to read. It is set in the mid-1940s during WWII and I don't know if it was the style or the long drawn out plot or what, but I feel like if this had been a shorter book there is a chance I would have liked it more. Blech!

[Amanda Parker · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a bit slow and dragged in parts. I just never was fully engaged. It’s set during World War II and is about navigating relationship and loss.

There was a beautiful part towards the end where they had a special service on December 21 which is the longest night of the year. The church service was to honor the memory of loved ones who had passed away. It was on the darkest and longest night of the year, but every night after that would get a little shorter. Such a sweet and beautiful idea as Christmas is a hard time of the year for those who have lost someone special.

[Vicki · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very special and touching Christmas novel. I loved how the main characters started their relationship as best friends. There was a great theme about how we can respond to loss which included living each day as if it were the last. The author kept this real with characters who were angry at God and had to reexamine their faith. As indicated on the cover, I'll Be Home for Christmas will warm your heart and soul. I really enjoyed Julie Cannon's writing style.

[Kathy Meloon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved the timeframe, didn’t care for Maggie Culpepper character. Way too whiny and the whole “I can suppress my feelings if I just keep busy” I found unbelievable when she had literally been with the same young man her whole life.
I did enjoy William’s character and Helen. Both were better friends to Maggie than she was to them.

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. It WAS a bit slow at times, but I didn't mind. My vote was always for William!

[Irene Hackett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love story based around WW2. Love anything war related.

[Colleen Mertens · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a light-hearted romance set against the back drop of WWII. The story was a fun holiday tale and mostly predictable.

[Rhonda Erway · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet read

[Theresa Lange · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good, a little sad.

[Loraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

SUMMARY: With Bing Crosby's "I'll Be Home for Christmas" playing in the background, Maggie Culpepper and William Byrd proclaim their undying love to one another. But with the U.S. at war and Maggie's personal home front under attack, the Southern belle impetuously joins the WAVES (Women Accepted for Voluntary Emergency Service).

When Christmas draws near and Maggie finds herself miles and miles away from her Georgia hometown...and her beloved William...will she realize that, no matter where she spends Christmas, home is where her heart is?

REVIEW: I began this book and wasn't sure I was going to like it. But as each of the characters fought through their battles during World War I, I found the book to be more and more interesting.


Each of the main characters in this book is dealing with problems and their faith plays a different role for each of them.
Maggie - Mad at God for the loss of her mother as she had faitHfully prayed for her healing, Maggie joins the WAVES during World War II and closes her heart off from God, family, friends and her best friend William. She wants no risks that will lead to more possible heartbreak so she becomes cold and self-centered and has given up on God.

William - Confused and frustrated, William is trying to determine God's will but doesn't understand why Maggie says she loves him but then joins the WAVES and wants no contact with him. But he continues to believe God's plan for him will be fullfilled.

Mr. Byrd - An elderly Black worker on William's parents' Christmas tree farm who has learned his love for God from hard experience and never gives up on Gods' plans.

Helen - Joined the WAVES, fell in love with a military man who then becomes a "Missing in Action". Has an abiding faith that is always reflected to Maggie her roommate and never loses faith that God will bring her love home safely.

FAVORITE QUOTE:
"I done told you, son, I be prayin' for you. Been aksin' the Lord to do what best. But you got you a job to do here too. Yo' job be to put it in the Lord's hands and leave it there. Surrender it.....

Surrender ain't mean you gettin' beat or givin' up. It just mean you leavin' it in the hands of Yo' Creator. Because His hands be capable handsa. Believe me when I say it be safe to give him control o' your future."

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a tough one to review for me for several reasons. There was a lot to like about the story, but also some things that took away from it. The heroine, Maggie, was very difficult to like because she had so much anger in her. I tend to steer away from hostile and angry people in my own life because I have learned that only God can change that. So rather than wanting to throw a cyber arm over the heroine's shoulder and assure her that God had her best interest at heart I wanted to say, "Listen, chica, get over yourself. Stop hurting Will. He's too good for you." Not exactly a sympathetic attitude. This could have been worked through better if her anger hadn't kept coming to the forefront and she hadn't kept rejecting Will. She was over the top there, IMHO.

I enjoyed the setting, the Christmas tree farm, the WAVES job, etc. I felt my patriotism swelling here and there as the result of some of the exquisite wording regarding veteran's and dying for a good cause. We've lost site of that this day in age. Then again, some wars weren't pivotal to our future like WWII. Anyway, I grieved some similar losses with the characters. I admired their fighting through struggles with faith. I loved the candle light ceremony and what it represented. Got a tad misty there. :) There was a good message that if love is really there, it will still be there after separation. Also, never giving up hope and praying for your loved ones at war. There was a lot of good Scripture in her and sound spiritual content/doctrine, but a few times it sounded a tad preachy (I hate that word) and other times it was natural sounding. So I had mixed feelings there. I couldn't believe how hard headed Maggie was and naive when it came to Brent, but that's another story for another day. The hero and heroine spent too much time apart for my tastes. Regardless, this was a good read for people who enjoy WWII era books and stories with Christmas themes.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Title: I’LL BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS
Author: Julie Cannon
Publisher: Summerside Press
October 2010
ISBN: 978-1-60936-018-4
Genre: Inspirational/historical romance

Maggie Culpepper has grown up with William Dove, her best friend since they were seven years old. They know everything about each other, yet Maggie is taken by surprise when William wants to change the relationship from best friends to dating. Maggie is at first hesitant, but William talks her into it.

Then everything changes. Maggie’s mother dies, and angry and bitter, Maggie dumps William and joins the Navy as a member of the WAVES. William still loves Maggie and writes her every day, but Maggie refuses to read his letters and starts dating another man.

William refuses to give up hope. But will Maggie even consider coming home for Christmas?

I had high hopes for this story. I absolutely LOVED William. He is a dream. I loved the setting, with a southern Christmas tree farm. I loved the time period—World War II—and the idea of seeing it from the point of view of a WAVES.

But… that said, Maggie is a nasty, angry, bitter woman, very immature, and I couldn’t see at all what William liked about her. She was horrible, mean to William, and… Well, she is not a person I like. Even at the end of the book, it was all about her, not about anyone else.

I wanted to like this book. I wanted to love it. But Maggie turned what could have been a five star story into a three. $12.99. 320 pages.

[Maggie Boyd · Rating 1 out of 5]

This story was in many ways similar to Susan May Warren's Baby, It's Cold Outside but while I thoroughly enjoyed that story this one was a complete bust for me. Both books dealt with significant deaths, women who were car mechanics and took place in the WWII time period. However, where this story was not the romance it claimed to be. We meet Maggie and William when they have already known each other all their lives. They are in love and William gives Maggie a special pin for Christmas to signify the promise of that love. Then Maggie's mom dies, she decides she can't trust God or love anymore and she leaves town to join the WAVES. She refuses to so much as write Jim because her feelings for him are too strong.

That happens in the first few chapters. Each of them then go on to grow spiritually until they reunite at the end of the story once Maggie has made her peace with God.

This was a sermon in a pretty cover with a catchy title. Since I prefer to receive my sermons in a church or at the very least from an ordained minister I found this more annoying than uplifting.

[Tasha enderby · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am glad by the end of this book there was a happy ending. I am most astonished by the pure dedication that William had for Maggie, his faith is a wonderful thing in such a young person. His kindness towards his father's colored help was remarkable. The two of them were a pair. My heart goes out to Maggie because she like most women want so much more then what life has to offer. We want to know we are capable of more then just tending homes and children. Maggie ran into the Navy out of fear but she comes home out of love. I like that Maggie had the courage to go and her father supported and loved her but she is full of a lot of anger and grief from her mother passing. Williams love for her is strong and stable and just what she needed.

[Ellen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book for Christmas a year ago and waited until the season came again, hoping that reading it seasonally would add to the enjoyment. There was much about this book that made me think I would like it: a romance set in WWII with a female enlisting in the WAVES. Unfortunately, I found the characters very hard to get to know and fairly one-dimensional. Those of you who know me understand that characters are key. This was quite an impediment to overcome. There is a message of hope in the story that is laudable, but it just wasn't more than something to read, and there are plenty of other books waiting for me in the meantime.

[Jen · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is a love story set during World War II. I picked it out to read during the Christmas holiday. It was a festive, light book to read so it filled that function. It wasn't written to become a pulitzer prize winner, I'll say that. It also had a lot of Christian themes-which is great, but I feel sometimes diminishes the quality of the writing or story. Sometimes it felt straight out of EFY. If you want a historical romance that is light and uplifting, you could consider this one. I did love the era though!

[Olivia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved the time period and I think the author did a great job describing her scenes. I easily pictured them in my mind. However I really got tired with the storyline. Margaret frustrated me because she kept feeling things for William yet she left because she wasn't sure she loved him. And then she was so angry for the rest of the story that I was annoyed. But it was still interesting to read once.

[Beth Withers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Except for the fact that I wanted to shake Maggie, this was a decent book. It is a romance about two lifelong friends during WWII. I enjoy this time period in my books, so I liked this. It's predictable and a feel-good book, but it's still an enjoyable read. I learned a little about the WAVES too, a group I knew very little about.

[Dicky · Rating 5 out of 5]

It unfolds a tale of a young Christian girl who runs from those around her including her boyfriend due to the death of her mother and joins the Navy. It tells readers how she goes through her emotional pains from the loss of her mother and from the longing of her heart for her boyfriend. Finally, she finds comfort in the Lord and returns home for Christmas.

[Caroline · Rating 1 out of 5]

a sweet southern Christmas narrative of lives and love and faith affected by WWll. Perfect for a sleepy read by the light of the Christmas tree.

the story was shallow and never developed much. the heroine was full of anger that does not resolve satisfactorily. the drama and quick pace of the emotions was a bit much. it would make a decent Hallmark channel Christmas movie.

[Angie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'll Be Home for Christmas. Although the setting, WWII, and details about the WAVES were interesting and informative; this Christian novel about a young woman who joins the war effort, was more "preaching" than entertaining, I would have like a bit more subtlety. 320 pages

[Lori · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the time period and learning about the WAVES and what they did during the war. It dragged out a bit to long but it was an easy read with some good life lessons along the way. It was worth reading.

[Ellenkaymi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book a great deal. I think that anyone who is interested in the 1940s would enjoy reading this book.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

The way Maggie felt about God is normal, and this book helped me who lost a loved one. You get angry, but with time you know it's God you need to look to and home is the best place to be.