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In 1943, as World War II rages, four women who work at Gowen Field, an air base south of Boise, Idaho, share their hopes and fears.
Margo King, in her mid-forties, is quiet and reserved. She teaches French to soldiers going overseas. Her son Clark is serving in Africa, where casualties are heavy.
Dottie King, Margo's daughter, is a young Christian whose boyfriend Greg is a soldier in Europe. Shortly before Greg was shipped overseas, temptation overcame them and Dottie became pregnant. Dottie accepts God's forgiveness and waits for Greg to return home and marry her. Her mother, however, is unforgiving and judgmental -- her past is similar, but she has never been able to forgive herself, or her former husband.
Lucy Anderson and her husband Richard married the day before the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. He was shipped overseas less than a month after their wedding. Lucy struggles with her loneliness -- and her attraction to a friendly grocer.
Red-haired Penelope Maxfield's husband Stuart has a back injury that keeps him at home. Pen resents his inability to work or serve his country, and suspects he is faking his pain. She is angry, self-absorbed, and unhappy.
When Lucy suggests that the four friends meet on Saturdays to pray for victory for the allies, and for personal victory over their own fears, faults, and failures, her idea is readily accepted by all but Penelope, who joins in halfheartedly. In addition to praying, the women look for ways that they can be of practical help to their neighbors.
I've always been very interested in the historical period of World War II, and I admire the steadfastness, faith, and determination of the American people of that era. I enjoyed reading THE VICTORY CLUB, and hated to come to the end. The characters' struggles and fears kept me turning pages, and their strength of purpose was inspiring. This is not a typical overly-sweet Christian novel. Although most of the main characters are Christians, their lives are not perfect, and they still face temptations and failures. The author portrays the forgiveness, sovereignty, and redemption of God without preachiness or platitudes. I look forward to reading more from Robin Lee Hatcher.
Reviewed by Marie DisBrow
for The Road to Romance
May 4, 2005
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