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It is 1944 and in the midst of World War II, American soldier Keith Mitchell and his wife, Annie, an army nurse, are on their way to Paris for their honeymoon. When their leave is abruptly cancelled, Keith returns to headquarters and Annie returns to the hospital at Malmedy, Belgium.
Word comes to the hospital about a massacre of Americans in the Ardennes Forest, and the American army is retreating. A wounded soldier tells Annie that General Maxwell needs a medic in the forest. Because the hospital is being evacuated, the doctor in charge refuses to send assistance. Knowing that Keith is with the general, Annie and her friend Marcy go AWOL to rescue them.
Both Keith and Marcy are killed, and Annie is captured by a German soldier, Karl Hausmann. Surprising events change Annie's opinion of the enemy – at least this one. She is shocked to discover that Karl is not the cruel Nazi she thought he was. Their common interest in music, and their Christian faith, breach the wall between enemies.
Annie loses contact with Karl after he becomes a prisoner of war, but the relationship affects her life. Her memories interfere with a new man in her life, a man that is perfect in every way. But does she love him?
I appreciated the way the author handled backstory by having the protagonist relate events of the past to her dead friend's sister. Although I identified with the heroine immediately, and was intrigued by the plot and excellent description that brought me into the story, I do have one complaint about this book. In the final chapters, Annie was running in circles to reach her goal. Instead of creating suspense, I became aggravated with the sameness of her attempts and their results. I was very disappointed with the abrupt ending, which lacked resolution of the story. In fact, Annie's final words seemed out of character to me. In spite of my disappointment with the ending, I'll look for other books by Jack Cavanaugh.
Reviewed by Marie DisBrow
for The Road to Romance
September 21, 2005
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