Review: With Every Letter

Back Cover Copy:

They know everything about each other—except their last names.

Lt. Mellie Blake is looking forward to beginning her training as a flight nurse. She is not looking forward to writing a letter to a man she’s never met—even if it is anonymous—part of a morale-building program. Lt. Tom MacGilliver, an officer stationed in North Africa, welcomes the idea of an anonymous correspondence—he’s been trying to escape his infamous name for years.

As their letters crisscross the Atlantic, Tom and Mellie develop a unique friendship despite not knowing the other’s true identity. When both are transferred to Algeria, the two are poised to meet face-to-face for the first time. Will they overcome their fears and reveal who they are, or will their future be held hostage by their pasts?

With Every Letter, the first book in the Wings of the Nightingale series, was the first of Sarah Sundin’s books I’ve read. It won’t be the last, and I don’t know why I waited so long. She weaves historical detail into her story with such finesse the reader feels as though she’s living in the time period of World War II.

Mellie is a sweet character—socially inept due to lack of experience, yet intelligent and with a good heart. Tom is also a tender soul hurt by his father’s sins, and so terrified he’ll follow in the man’s footsteps he can’t bring himself to show others more than a cheerful facade. In their anonymous letters, the two are able to be themselves, share their trials, and boost one another’s spirits.

Though there is a small amount of war action, the conflict centers more on the personal lives of the characters. The hero and heroine don’t actually breathe the same air until halfway through the book. There were times when I was antsy for them to stop writing and become acquainted in person. (I think it’s the old Army adage of “hurry up and wait.”) Even though it didn’t follow the typical “romance” format, the story did not drag. I kept flipping the pages to partake in more of the experiences of Mellie and Tom.

If you want to read a story as beautiful as the cover, and are curious about WWII and the history of flight nurses, I would suggest opening With Every Letter.

Disclaimer: I have no material connection with this novel. It was a library book I enjoyed and wanted to review.