Book Friday—A Distant Melody, by Sarah Sundin
12 March 2010
“One whole delicious week together. Allie Miller clung to her best friend’s promise and to the train ticket that would deliver it.”
I’m so happy to not be a “real” reviewer, because if I was, I’d probably feel really stupid about saying this next sentence: Oh my gosh, A Distant Melody is sooooo good.
I started this book last Friday evening around 10. I thought, “I’ll just read a chapter and then turn out the light.” Um, an hour and a half later, I finally did because my husband was like, “Would you please close your book?” And then I laid there for about thirty minutes and thought about Allie and Walt and the amazing adventure I was about to take with them.
A Distant Melody takes place during World War II. Allie Miller is 23-years-old, and blessed with wealth but not by beauty, much to her gorgeous mother’s disappointment. Allie is desperate for her parents’ approval. So desperate she’s even planning to marry a man she doesn’t love. (And who speaks about himself in third person, so you can hardly blame her.) It’s also clear to Allie that her boyfriend, Baxter, isn’t too enamored with her either. He’s been courting her for five years, if you can call it that. No kisses, no “you look beautiful tonight,” no nothing. It’s sadly obvious to her (and the reader) that Baxter is marrying Allie because it means inheriting her father’s company, which he works for, and securing a life of wealth and stability for himself.
Allie has resigned herself to a loveless marriage, comforting herself that she might one day win Baxter for Christ, when Allie meets Leutinant Walter Novak. The back cover copy states it well. He’s “fearless in the cockpit but hopeless with women.” Walter is home for his last furlough before being shipped overseas. He falls for Allie and the two agree to correspond while he’s in England. (Which I know sounds potentially boring, but in the masterful hands of Sarah Sundin it so isn’t.)
Here’s a few things I loved and what made this the best book I’ve read recently:
1. Walter and Allie are awesome characters. Both feel they’ve fallen short in their parents’ eyes, and both feel like they’re no prize to the opposite sex. Their relationship provides a lot of healing for both that’s touching to see. I found myself particularly relating to Walter, which is unusual for me. I can’t remember the last time the hero resonated with me slightly more than the heroine.
2. How organic the spiritual messages are in this book. It never once seemed like Sarah was thinking, “Oh, okay, time for the spiritual storyline…” It wove in as naturally as real life. Particularly the things Sarah had to say about honesty.
3. Homosexuality. I nearly dropped the book with shock when I saw this issue being touched on in a historical Christian book. Excellent stuff. I’ll be curious to see if it’s developed more in the remainder of the series.
4. The balance of action and emotion. While I never actually cried while reading this book, but it was an emotional rollercoaster of a read. Often painful, but in that really good way. (I know that sounds stupid. I’m sure you readers know what I mean.)
In short, READ A DISTANT MELODY. So, so good.
Sarah’s in the middle of a blog tour, but I was able to nab her to do a short interview and giveaway on here later this month, so stay tuned!
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