Review: A Distant Melody by Sarah Sundin

Series: Wings of Glory #1
Genre: Historical Romance
Publisher: Revell 
Released: March 1, 2010
422 pages

About the Book:

Never pretty enough to please her gorgeous mother, Allie will do anything to gain her approval--even marry a man she doesn't love. Lt. Walter Novak--fearless in the cockpit but hopeless with women--takes his last furlough at home in California before being shipped overseas. Walt and Allie meet at a wedding and their love of music draws them together, prompting them to begin a correspondence that will change their lives. As letters fly between Walt's muddy bomber base in England and Allie's mansion in an orange grove, their friendship binds them together. But can they untangle the secrets, commitments, and expectations that keep them apart?  

My Rating & Thoughts:    ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I think I have found a new favourite author. I absolutely loved this book. I immediately fell in love with the characters of Allie and Walt. Two people meet at a wedding, but come from two very different worlds, Walt is the son of a pastor and is leaving to serve in the war as a fighter pilot. Allie is set to inherit her father’s company and her family has arranged marriage for her. Walt struggles to talk to girls but finds he has no problems talking to Allie, why is she different? Allie finds herself drawn to Walt and able to share her inner feelings, but she can’t let get too close. The story is set during WWII and filled with friendship, romance, faith, humor, sad and horrific experiences, but overall it was the genuine connection between characters that endured me to the story.

There are real issues happening and the characters grow over the course of the book. They experience highs and lows, make good and bad decisions, and learn to trust God through it all. I can’t fully explain how much these characters touched me. When they hurt, I hurt. I did get frustrated near the end of the book with a couple of their actions that lead to miscommunication. If they would have put their pride or fear aside for a minute, they could have saved themselves some heartache. At one point Walt does something that made me yell, ‘you idiot.’

I found myself fascinated with the scenes set overseas with Walt. I didn’t always comprehend all the technical details of the plane and what each man’s job entailed but I could follow it enough to understand what they were experiencing. It did not take away from my enjoyment of the book. I learned so much about the experiences of those living through this time in history, both overseas and those they left behind at home. I didn’t know much about what rationing entailed prior to this.

There is a very strong message about the importance of telling the truth and shows what can happen when you don’t. I truly admired Allie’s courage in choosing to follow God’s leading even when it was hard and caused her extreme heartache. I looked forward to reading the letters exchanged. I was so happy with the way the story ended and I immediately picked up book 2 in hopes I would get updates on these characters. 

Favourite Quote: 

“Lies are like incendiary bombs, burning and melting and mangling everything - trust, hopes, and everyone you love.”

(I purchased my copy of this book; opinions expressed 

in this review are my honest opinion and completely my own.)