With Love, Wherever You Are by Dandi Daley Mackall -- my REVIEW

I just finished reading With Love, Wherever You Are by Dandi Daley Mackall (and by that I mean that I stayed up till midnight last night reading!!) :) I wasn't sure I'd love this book, as it is a war book (World War 2) and I don't generally like war stories, but I gave it a try, and I'm definitely glad I did!

I'm going to start this off by saying that the end notes/chapter "The Story Behind the Story" made this book all the more meaningful! It tells the **after** and reminds the reader that this is based on a true story. For some reason that made it even sweeter for me. My grandparents kept stacks of letters written back and forth in wartime and I always wished I could read them. For some reason they gave them to my cousin and I probably won't ever see them. I say this to point out that letter-writing was A THING then -- love letters, sometimes several written in the same day, back and forth. In this day and age it's hard to imagine that sort of life, that sort of communication, and that dedication to share lives across continents.

So -- the book! This book starts with the lives of a nurse who enters the army, Helen, and a doctor who enlists after a med-school deferment. They meet, fall in love, and marry quickly. Following their marriage they are separated again and again for long scary stretches of time. There are occasional meet-ups, but few and far between. The letters they sent to each other are what connected them and bore testament to their love for each other. The book is written through their letters as well as occasional narrative. Some of the horrors of war that were endured or witnessed by the nurses and doctors are described, as are their troop movements and other day-to-day happenings. One thread that runs throughout the book is will their marriage last? Can a love begun in wartime carry through?

I will suggest you read this book to find out what happens!

I liked this book -- it was not a fluffy book, but definitely an enjoyable one. I would recommend it!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the Tyndale Blog Network Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”