"In the last 3, 421 years of recorded history, only 268 have seen no war." - Will Durant, 1968.
A story of war, love, loss and the scars they leave behind, Next to Love, follows the lives of three young women and their men during the years of World War II and its aftermath, beginning with the men going off to war and ending a generation later, after the man have finally returned to a nation changed beyond recognition.
Beautifully crafted, moving, and unforgettable, Next to Love by Ellen Feldman, depicts the power of love and friendship, and illuminates a transformational moment in American history.
I received the book, Next to Love by Ellen Feldman,compliments of TLC Book Tours for my honest review and got so much more than I expected. I didn't realize just how different each person related their experience to war. From the men who saw it as a sense of duty and honor, so leaving for them even though it was difficult was an adventure of sorts, a way to protect the lives of the families and friends they left behind.
While for the women, they tried so many times to put up the brave face of a woman who supported her man. They wanted the last remaining memories of their time together with their loved ones to be positive and filled with love. So many times, they held back their fears, afraid to voice their concerns that the moment they left, might be the last time they saw them.
Told through the lives of Babe Huggins, Grace Gooding, and Millie Swallow, we see how each of them deals with the men they love as they head out to war. This is a personal struggle for each of them and along the way, they will be forever changed by the circumstances that the war will impose on them all.
This book rates a 4.5 out of 5 stars and does contain some profanity that may offend some readers but overall, I truly believe this is a true story of how many women and men dealt with the war, and the aftermath that follows when some return home and others do not. For more information about the book, the author and where to purchase a copy, please click on the link below:
Thanks the the generous folks at TLC Book Tours and Ellen Feldman, they are offering a giveaway copy of this book to one lucky reader of this blog. Here are your guidelines:
1. You must be a follower of this blog, Reviews From The Heart.
2. You must be a resident of the US or have a US shipping address.
3. I must have a way to contact you if you are the lucky winner, so please make sure to include your email address along with your comment. You can use the words (at) or (dot) instead of the symbols.
4. Leave a comment telling me why you'd love to win a copy. The giveaway will end on June 16th and I will notify the winner by email at that time.
I would love to win this book to read because I have always been interested in the period of WWII. My mother and father wrote letters back and forth during the war which I have in an old leather suitcase. Also, my Uncle Richard never returned, he parachutted on D Day on the Normandy Beach and my aunt Martha never really recovered from his death.
ReplyDeleteI think that time was different from the one that we live in, there was more innocence and
the war was world wide so it was even more frightening than those of the present.
CarolNWong(at)aol(dot)com
I am follower and email subscriber. I would love to read this book because I love reading about history and it sounds very history. Please enter me in contest. Tore923@aol.com
ReplyDeleteI absolutely love historical fiction books in the WWII era. My favorite so far is Jacqueline Briskin's The Other Side of Love. I would love to read this! It sounds interested.
ReplyDeletesassysasha817 at gmail dot com
This sounds great, I love your photos, thanks lisapeters at yahoo dot com
ReplyDeleteI would love to read this book. My dad was in WWII and saw many things that he has never wanted to talk about until the last few years. He was also in the Korean war, so he has been away from us for long lengths of time. The book sounds wonderful. As you know, I am a follower. I hope I win, so if I do, here it is: vealerj@yahoo.com
ReplyDeleteWow book looks great....
ReplyDeletegfc follower
vidishamun@gmail.com
I would love to read this book. It sounds like an interesting story.
ReplyDeleteI am a GFC follower
lkish77123 at gmail dot com
this sounds like a beautiful story...thanks for the opportunity to read it. i'm a follower :)
ReplyDeletekarenk
kmkuka at yahoo dot com
I would love to read this book!
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a great book!
I'm a follower of your blog..GFC
dancealert at aol dot com
I'd like this read book, it sounds like a wonderful story about women. I'm a GFC follower.
ReplyDeleteTheresa N
weceno(at)yahoo(dot)com
I just read this last week and LOVED it - so glad to see that you did as well.
ReplyDeleteThanks for being on the tour. I'm featuring your review on TLC's Facebook page today.
I like the idea of following three women before and after the war. I know each woman's experience will cause me to think about and feel their personal experiences. This form of writing is so rich because I'm not reading one person's ideas about the war.
ReplyDeleteteakettle58(at)yahoo(dot)com
I'd love to try this book, because you say it is so good! Please count me in. Thank you!
ReplyDeletenfmgirl AT gmail DOT com
I would love to win a copy of the book to add to my wonderful collection. I'm sure i don't have a novel during world war 2. love letters always interest folks, they are so heartfelt.
ReplyDeleterdg.rendezvous@gmail (dot) com
am email follower and GFC