When I find an author whose books I like, I
want to read all of them. That’s why I
was excited to find author Sarah
Sundin’s newest book The Sky Above Us, which is the
second book in her Sunrise at Normandy
Series.
The story of the Paxton family continues in The
Sky Above Us as we are introduced to the middle brother, Lt. Alder Paxton. He is making his way to England where he will
be stationed with American Air Force in 1943, as they join the battle to
prepare for D-Day. Though he is trying
to leave his past behind him, it has a way of catching up. What are the chances that 5,000 miles from
home Alder will see his estranged brothers Wyatt and Clay? Onboard ship, Alder will meet the lovely
Violet Lindstrom who is with the American Red Cross. She has her sights set on serving as a
missionary one day, in a faraway land. Little
did she know that the Lord would open her eyes to a different mission field
that would resonate with her heart’s longing and desires.
I absolutely loved, loved, loved this
book. Not only did I like the setting,
WWII in England as D-Day approached, but also the characters and how they fit
into a pivotal time in our history. Sarah
must have done a lot of research to make the dogfights and battles seem so
realistic and easy to visualize. In
reading The Sky Above Us, I got a taste of what the people who lived
through that era may have experienced.
Prior to reading this book, I didn’t know much
about the history of the American Red Cross and their roll in helping
servicemen as they served abroad. Those
women who served were hardworking and brave and they too put their lives on the
line.
As much as I was intrigued and fascinated with
the setting and characters, I loved and learned from some of the themes in the
book. Forgiveness was looked at from many
different angles. Compassion, mercy, humility,
obedience, friendship, self-righteousness, repentance and God’s calling were some
of the other themes.
I very much liked Adler and Violet, but my
favorite character was Nick Westin. He
was a wonderful friend, mentor, brother in Christ, father and husband. I’d love to see a book about this character. He was memorable and very dear.
Not only did I love The Sky Above Us by Sarah Sundin, but I learned from it. It gave me a deeper appreciation for the
greatest generation and what they did to save our Country and the Western world from Nazism. This is a book I will read again and would
definitely give it as a gift. I took my
time reading this book and I didn’t want it to end. It was so enjoyable to read it at the end of each day. Though it’s part of
a series, it works well as a stand-alone book.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Revell Publishing Group for the opportunity to read The
Sky Above Us by Sarah Sundin
in exchange for an honest review. I was
under no obligation to give a favorable review.