The Sky Above Us

As usual, Sarah Sundin has written an absorbing and enjoyable tale! The characters practically hop of the pages in vibrant colors and the setting is nearly as easy to visualize.

Violet struggles with insecurity about her height (six feet) and is passionate about becoming a missionary. But there are niggles of doubt in her soul that she summarily hushes, thinking contentment in her current place is a reluctance to go for her calling. Before the war she had intended to marry and go on the mission field, but when her fiancé changed his mind about the mission field, she broke the engagement. But her mission board doesn't send single women and Violet hasn't had another chance to marry. She's not certain she ever will, now that she's in her late twenties. She's heard about the Red Cross helping refugee children and signs up, thinking perhaps that is a way to get closer to her mission field.

Adler's story began in book one when his controlling habits indirectly caused the death of his fiancée. With her death, his family ruptured overnight, sending all three brothers to the four winds. Haunted by the guilt of her death and of the horrible things he did while crazed with grief, he drifts from place to place, and is now in the air force as a pilot. He runs across Violet just before embarking for England, and they are on the same ship for the crossing. She interests him and challenges him, but he's sure he isn't suited to be even a friend to any woman after what he's done.

There is a gentle thread of mystery in the second half of the book as well as tons of wonderful detail about wartime on an English military base and in the Red Cross's canteens for the soldiers, including a nice coverage of D-Day.

I'd advise 16+ on this one, not for actual content, but just because of the details of how bad Adler's past actually got. There is also a bit of mild innuendo from the soldiers.

Thanks to the publisher for a free reading copy. A favorable review was not required.