The Land Beneath Us by Sarah Sundin

Happy Sunday!  Some of the books coming out later this month are A Call for Kelp by Bree Baker, Red Sky Over Hawaii by Sara Ackerman, The Promise by Patricia Davids, Marshmallow Malice by Amanda Flower, No Filter by Heather Day Gilbert, and Murder with Clotted Cream by Karen Rose Smith.  Are any of these novels on your TBR list?

Army Rangers (1944)

The Land Beneath Us by Sarah Sundin has Private Clay Paxton working hard to become a U.S. Army Ranger. He would make a great medic and is encouraged to pursue that path, but a recurring dream has Clay insisting on becoming a fighter.  He believes God has sent this dream to him and Clay looks forward to the day the dream comes true.  At Camp Forrest in Tennessee, Clay meets Leah Jones who has come to work at the library on the base.  Clay rescues Leah after she is brutally attacked one evening at the library.  To save her reputation, Clay weds Leah in a marriage of convenience.  He likes knowing that she will be provided for after he is gone.  When Clay ships out, they write frequently to each other.  As time passes, they begin to love each other but neither will admit it to the other.  Will Clay make it back from the war or will his recurring dream come true?

US Army Rangers at Point  du Hoc (they did an incredible job)

The Land Beneath Us by Sarah Sundin is the final installment in Sunrise at Normandy series.  It can be read on its own, but, if you want to get the full experience of the brothers’ saga, I recommend reading them in order.  I thought The Land Beneath Us was well-written with developed characters.  I enjoy Sarah Sundin’s word imagery which brings the scenes alive.  The author creates such strong characters.  Leah Jones has had a rough life.  Her parents died when she was a small child.  At the orphanage, Leah was separated from her baby sisters.  She then endured horrible adoptive parents who felt Leah’s Greek heritage was disdainful.  They took away her heritage and her real name.  Just when things are turning around for Leah, she is violently assaulted.  It takes a strong woman to overcome so much tragedy.  Leah has such a tender and caring heart.  I love how she enjoyed books.  Leah is an avid reader like me.  I admit that I wanted to shake Clay at times.  His dream confounded me, but Clay is a man of strong convictions.  I enjoyed reading this engaging story as well as the whole series.  The author did her research for this trilogy.  She captured the U.S. Army Ranger training as well as D-Day.  Sarah Sundin portrayed the time period beautifully.  My favorite line from The Land Beneath Us is, “Since the Lord knows everything, I reckon that makes Him the ultimate library.”  The epilogue was a delight and wrapped up the series perfectly.  The Land Beneath Us is a captivating historical tale with a death dream, a terrible tragedy, battling brothers, a library lover, and a raging war.  

US Army Rangers on June 5, 1944

The Land Beneath Us can be obtained from Amazon* as well as other major booksellers.  The other two novels in Sunrise at Normandy series are The Sea Before Us (available on Kindle Unlimited) and The Sky Above Us. Thank you for reading my review today.  I appreciate it and I hope it helps you find a new book, series or author. On a Coastal Breeze by Suzanne Woods Fisher will be featured tomorrow.  It is the second book in the Three Sisters Island series.  May you have a peaceful day.  Take care, stay safe and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader

*This post contains affiliate links.

The Sky Above Us by Sarah Sundin

Welcome!  Leave No Scone Unturned by Denise Swanson releases on March 26 with The Hidden Corpse by Debra Sennefelder.  Mother's Day Mayhem by Lynn Cahoon comes out on April 2.  The Patient One by Shelley Shepard Gray will be available on April 9.  So many delightful new books! 

The Sky Above Us by Sarah Sundin transports readers to October of 1943.  Lt. Adler Paxton is shipping to England with the 357^th Fighter Group.  He is ashamed of what he did three years prior and is estranged from his family in Texas.  Adler is determined to become an ace pilot, but his commanding officer has other ideas.  If Adler is to have the business he dreams of after the war, he needs to become a flying ace.  Maybe God has other plans for this flyer.  Violet Lindstrom wishes to become a missionary, but she will not be accepted without a husband.  Violet was teaching in her hometown until she turned twenty-five and joined the Red Cross.  She wants to work with children, but instead is assigned to be director of an aeroclub.  Violet and Kitty Kelly work to provide entertainment and food to the men of the 357^th.  Violet even comes up with a program to help the local children and she recruits Adler to assist her.  Slowly Adler opens up to Violet about his past and she along with Nick Westin encourage him to write to his family.  Can Adler overcome his misjudgments?  He needs to come to terms with what happened and ask for God’s forgiveness.  Adler also needs to find a way to forgive himself.  D-Day is quickly approaching, and Adler will be in the thick of the battle.  Come along for Adler’s journey in The Sky Above Us.

 

The Sky Above Us is a well-written and captivating historical novel.  The pacing is mixed throughout the book. Sarah Sundin captured the time-period and historical elements very well.  I can tell that the author did her research for this series of books.  Lt. Adler Paxton loves to fly, and his dream is to become an ace pilot.  Major Shapiro believes Adler needs to learn to be a team player and assigns him to be the wingman for Capt. Nick Westin.  You can feel the struggle Adler is going through with this new assignment.  Violet wants to become a missionary, but they only accept married couples.  Her former fiancé, Dennis Reeves was influenced by money and decided to take a different path.  Violet now finds herself in England working for the Red Cross and managing an aeroclub.  Her job is to feed and entertain the off duty pilots.  Unfortunately, thefts are thwarting her mission.  Violet will lose her job if she does not find the culprit.  There is plenty of activity in The Sky Above Us.  Adler is flying mission, Violet setting up the aeroclub, both are dealing with their past, activities with local children, uncovering a thief, and much more.  I like how Sarah Sundin incorporated the Christian elements into the story.  One of my favorite phrases is “only God can take away the pain”.  The author provides vivid details that brought the story alive.  As a reader, I could visualize the scenes and characters thanks to Sarah Sundin’s writing.  It was interesting to learn more about aeroclubs and how the pilots flew their missions.  I did find the book slowed down in the middle and I could have done without some of the kissing scenes (they were a bit much).  I did, though, like how Violet and Adler’s relationship progressed, and how she never let go of her Christian values.  The Sky Above Us can be read alone if you have not picked up The Sea Before Us.  There is a preview of the next Sunrise Over Normandy novel included which features Clay Paxton and Leah Jones.  Discussion questions are also provided which are a good aid for book clubs.  If you are looking for an intriguing historical novel, then look no further than The Sky Above Us.

Thank you for reading my review today.  I will be showcasing The Street of Broken Dreams by Tania Crosse tomorrow.  It is the second novel in The Banbury Street series.  I hope you will return.  Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris
The Avid Reader