An Overview…

This book is an historical novel set in the time of World War 2. It is the story of three friends and how they came to be in the Philippines on the day that Pearl Harbor was attacked. This story includes the famous Bataan Death March. Let me say up front that this story is not for the faint of heart so be advised it is a very realistic war story. With that being said let me tell you a little more.

James Propfield (known as Jimmy or Prop throughout) has always been a preacher’s kid. He has always been expected, by his father, to go to seminary some day and become a preacher. As he moved toward high school graduation he was not so sure anymore. He was struggling to find his path in life without the constant pressure from his parents.

All his life he had been surrounded by a small group of friends. His buddy, Billy, and Billy’s sister, Claire had been lifelong friends and his friend Hank had come along a little later but seamlessly fit right in with the group. Once the war broke out it was not long before the three boys decided to join the military and they were off on a new adventure together in the Pacific.

From the minute they enlisted to the time they got on the bus to leave was less than 24 hours. As they entered the recruit bus they left one person without a goodbye… Claire. The book opens with a confused letter from Claire after they arrived in the Philippines. Jimmy tucked it away without replying.

My Thoughts

The story is told from the time in the Pacific in 1942 with flashbacks to their time back in Alabama growing up in the late 1930s in Alabama. The story unfolds more and more as the memories come. It is a remarkably well written story!

Many of you know that I am not one to choose a war story. For some reason I could not pass this one up. It is one of the most fascinating books I have ever read. For a Christian publishing company it is really outside the norm. It is real. It is gritty. I could not put this thing down!

There is romance but the focus of the story is about these three young men and their friendship right up to the last page. There were two authors involved, Marcus Brotherton (an expert on WW2 history) and Tosca Lee (a novelist). I loved how the two authors wove such a remarkable tale. It flowed from one chapter to the next beautifully and I would definitely choose to read more by both authors.

The physical battles were a huge deal but so were the spiritual and mental battles. This book does not shield the reader from those things. Being from a Christian publisher does not mean that this one is preachy or saccharin in any way either. It packed a punch. I suspect this is a story I won’t easily forget. It is haunting and thought provoking and has brought me to a deeper respect for those who served our nation in such atrocious circumstances. War is ugly and evil and no one comes out unscathed.

But God…

I highly recommend this one… it is strongly competing for my top 10 of the year. This is a fantastic read as we approach Memorial Day if you look for themed reads.

I was thrilled to be a part of this blog tour with Revell Publishing. The book was sent to me free of charge and I was only asked to give an honest review. I would give this one a solid 5 stars out of 5. I would give it 20 if that were possible on review sites.