A WWII novel of courage and conviction, based on the true experience of the men who fought fires as conscientious objectors and the women who fought prejudice to serve in the Women’s Army Corps.
Since the attack on Pearl Harbor, Gordon Hooper and his buddy Jack Armitage have stuck to their values as conscientious objectors. Much to their families’ and country’s chagrin, they volunteer as smokejumpers rather than enlisting, parachuting into and extinguishing raging wildfires in Oregon. But the number of winter blazes they’re called to seems suspiciously high, and when an accident leaves Jack badly injured, Gordon realizes the facts don’t add up.
A member of the Women’s Army Corps, Dorie Armitage has long been ashamed of her brother’s pacifism, but she’s shocked by news of his accident. Determined to find out why he was harmed, she arrives at the national forest under the guise of conducting an army report . . . and finds herself forced to work with Gordon. He believes it’s wrong to lie; she’s willing to do whatever it takes for justice to be done. As they search for clues, Gordon and Dorie must wrestle with their convictions about war and peace and decide what to do with the troubling secrets they discover.
Amy Lynn Green is a lifelong lover of books, history, and library cards. She worked in publishing for six years before writing her first historical fiction novel. She and her husband live in Minnesota, where she teaches virtual classes on marketing at writer’s conferences, engages with book clubs, and regularly encourages established and aspiring authors in their publication journeys. Connect with her on Facebook or Instagram (@amygreenbooks), or sign up for her newsletter at amygreenbooks.com to get quarterly emails filled with bookish fun.
‘Maybe you should take a second look. People are never simple. Once you see past old prejudices and first impressions, you’ll see that the most overlooked ones can be….useful. ‘
Amy Lynn Green’s sophomore nov is better than her first! Based on true stories about conscientious objectors and the women’s army corps, this book explores courage and the heart’s convictions that are powerful.
Set in a time of war that impacted every life it touched, we see how those who refused to fight and take a life suffered at their own countrymen’s hands. And those of their family. There was a distant cousin in my own family that served in that capacity in the same war.
When two main characters must work together to discover the truth behind a soldier’s ‘accident’, one thinks it is totally okay to lie to find that truth. The other’s convictions restrict his participation in the investigation.
Green does a fine job digging into the heart and convictions of her characters. I was in from the very beginning. It was a hard time in this country’s history and she portrays it very well indeed. Well done!
My thanks to Bethany House for a copy of this book. I was not pressured to leave a positive review. The opinion here is my own.
Publication Date: August 31, 2021
Length: 384 pages
Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08XMJXZJB/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i0
Simply Susan 