Love the clothes!
UPDATE: A winner of the August Amazon Gift Card Giveaway has been emailed! Congrats, Renee C!
I should have been born in the 40′s. I love the clothes, the music, the movies. Yes, it was a harrowing period in our history. But a world at war laid bare the issues most important in life, and the times invited people to rise to new challenges. Those who did astounded themselves, and the world, by what they were able to accomplish. They are now called The Greatest Generation.
When I want to visit the 40′s time period, I know I can count on author Sarah Sundin to take me there. Sarah captures the essence of those years in her three-book series, Wings of Glory. This trilogy follows the lives of the Novak brothers, Jack, Walt, and Ray. The last book, Blue Skies Tomorrow, tells Ray’s story.
Ray has a preacher’s heart. He loves nothing better than to teach, counsel, and comfort the folks God brings his way. When lovely Helen Carlisle crosses his path, he is drawn to her sweet spirit and tender heart. Helen, a war widow struggling to raise a young son, blossoms under Ray’s love and attention. However, their time together is cut short when Ray volunteers to give up his stateside assignment and fly bombing missions.
Both Ray and Helen end up fighting the important battles God brings to their separate journeys. Both, in their own way, find themselves pretending to be people they’re not in an effort to survive. And both surprise themselves as they discover the depths of courage God is able to draw from within them. The drama of each character’s story kept me turning pages until the heartwarming, supremely satisfying conclusion.
I often share how the books I read remind me of movies I’ve enjoyed. Many stories in the inspirational market remind me of old movies. Some would say what Christian books and old movies have in common is that they bypass real life to show a sanitized version of truth.
I disagree. I think these genres do take on tough problems and real life situations. But the writers do it with subtlety, restraint, and grace—as Sarah Sundin does.
Want to see what I mean? Follow this link to purchase Blue Skies Tomorrow for yourself. You’ll find yourself humming Glen Miller tunes, styling your hair with pin curls, and wishing your town had an old-fashioned soda fountain.
Sarah Sundin
You can find Sarah Sundin at this link. She writes a great blog where she shares devotionals and interesting tidbits from World War II history.
***Available August 2011 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group. Thanks to Revell for providing a copy of the book for me to review.
from The Best Years of Our Lives
Sarah’s series brings to mind some of my favorite classics—especially The Best Years of Our Lives, an academy award winner about three servicemen trying to piece their lives together after they return home from World War II. The movie has a tender scene where a wounded veteran (played by real life wounded vet Harold Russell) tries to convince his fiancee that he’s no longer worthy of her because of his injuries. But she won’t have it and sticks until he gives in and marries her!
Giveaway: This post is an August Giveaway Post! I’m giving away a $10 Amazon Gift Card at the end of the month. All you have to do to enter is leave a comment below.
Here’s a fun extra, a recipe from the days of rationing . . .
Butterless, Eggless, Milkless Cake from 1940′s
1 c. Brown sugar, firmly packed
1 1/4 c. Water
1/3 c. Vegetable shortening or lard
2/3 c. Raisins
1/2 teasp. Nutmeg
2 teasp. Cinnamon
1/2 teasp. Powdered cloves
1 teasp. Salt
1 teasp. Baking soda
2 teasp. Water
2 c. Sifted all-purpose flour
1 teasp. Baking powder
Boil brown sugar, 1 1/4 c. Water, shortening, raisins, and spices together for 3 min. Cool. Add salt and baking soda which has been dissolved in 2 teasp. Water. Gradually add the flour and baking powder which have been sifted together, beating smooth after each addition. Bake in a greased and floured 8″X8″X2″ pan in a moderate oven of 325 degrees F. About 50 minutes or until done. Needs no frosting.
—The Good Housekeeping Cook Book, New edition, completely revised 1944 [Farrar & Rinehart:New York] 1944 (p. 698)
