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