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LETTERS FROM HOME by Kristina McMorris

"Three friends find love and face loss against the backdrop of World War II."

By: Kristina McMorris

Genres: Historical | Fiction Women's Fiction

Posted: January 7, 2011

Liz Stephens is planning to marry Dalton Harris, an up-and- coming politician in Chicago, when a chance encounter with a soldier at a dance throws her carefully ordered life into confusion. Liz's roommate, Julia Renard, is engaged to Christian Downing, who is already overseas. She is impatiently awaiting their reunion until she finds that Christian's brother, Ian, has returned from battle drastically changed. Even as she realizes her dream future could turn out to be a nightmare, her sympathy for Ian begins to turn into something deeper. Meanwhile, Betty Cordell, the free-spirited third roommate, makes a rash decision to be part of the war effort that will not only change her life but endanger it.

The soldier at the dance, Morgan McClain, was enjoying one more night of freedom with his brother, Charlie, before shipping out. Content with life on the family farm, he had signed up mostly to keep tabs on his impulsive sibling, which he has done all his life. Morgan's only connection to home becomes the letters he receives from Betty -- but unbeknownst to him, the letters are actually written by Liz, and in a Cyrano-like twist, Morgan falls in love with Betty's image but Liz's words. What will happen when he gets back home? That is, if he gets back home...

This book weaves the stories of the three roommates and two brothers seamlessly, going back and forth between home front and battle front. Interspersing unflinching images of combat with more intimate, emotional scenes personalizes this historical period and will touch your heart. The period details draw you in, but it's the characters' personal journeys that are the heart of the story -- especially the women, who are getting a taste of their changing roles in society and learning to take charge of their own lives. The poetic, heartfelt letters between Morgan and Liz provide a shimmering thread that ties everything together. I enjoyed this book from beginning to end.

Book Summary

Inspired by the true story of her own grandparents' courtship during World War II, Kristina McMorris captures the heartache and sacrifice of love and war in LETTERS FROM HOME,an award-winning debut novel that is timeless, tender and unforgettably moving.

Chicago, 1944. Liz Stephens has little interest in attending a USO club dance with her friends Betty and Julia. She doesn't need a flirtation with a lonely serviceman when she's set to marry her childhood sweetheart. Yet something happens the moment Liz glimpses Morgan McClain. They share only a brief conversation—cut short by the soldier's evident interest in Betty—but Liz can't forget him. Thus, when Betty asks her to ghostwrite a letter to Morgan, stationed overseas, Liz reluctantly agrees.

Thousands of miles away, Morgan struggles to adjust to the brutality of war. His letters from "Betty" are a comfort, their soul-baring correspondence a revelation to them both. While Liz is torn by her feelings for a man who doesn't know her true identity, Betty and Julia each become immersed in their own romantic entanglements. And as the war draws to a close, all three will face heart-wrenching choices, painful losses, and the bittersweet joy of new beginnings.

Beautifully rendered and deeply felt, LETTERS FROM HOME is a story of hope and connection, of sacrifices made in love and war—and the chance encounters that change us forever.

Read an Excerpt

Letters From Home by Kristina McMorris

Letters From Home

by: Kristina McMorris

Kensington
March 1, 2011
On Sale: February 22, 2011
Featuring: Morgan McClain; Liz Stephens
352 pages
ISBN: 0758246846
EAN: 9780758246844
Kindle: B004IWR3RO
Trade Size / e-Book

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