Abigail Walker, a young woman from rural South Carolina, is on the cusp of womanhood, aching to be able to run wild as the younger children do, yet yearning for things she has yet to understand. Awkward and unsure of herself, Abby is flustered when she meets Harvey Nicholas, the nephew of a family at her church and a cadet from Clemson College. As summer begins, Abby finds herself constantly in … Abby finds herself constantly in the company of Harvey and falling quickly in love with him.
As rumors of war begin to reach the States, Abby begins to fear what may come for her older brother and Harvey. Once Pearl Harbor is bombed, the boys are eager to protect their home and the women they love. But will Abby and Harvey’s love be able to withstand distance, rumors, loss, and hurt? Or will the war be what tears apart Abby’s heart?
War-Torn Heart is a Kleenex-box book with a story of hope, of love, and of perseverance through World War II, which will make readers cry, scream, and long for more.
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This novel, set in the WWII era, describes the time period and demographics well. I found the premise of the story to be very well researched as the author’s description of the war and the Clemson cadets are very interesting. Although the novel provides some plot twists, I found it to be fairly predictable and had difficulty relating to the characters. There was also a lot of romantic “fluff” that renders the book unsuitable for a younger audience. There is nothing graphic, but it seemed irrelevant to the plot.
The story of Harvey and Abby and their sometimes quirky families will at times tug at your heartstrings, yet is heart-warming as well.
I received a copy of this book from JustRead Publicity Tours and was under no obligation to give a positive review.
BOOK REVIEW
War Torn Heart
by Allison Wells Allison Wells
I have developed a complicated relationship with War Torn Heart. Honestly, for the first 20 pages or so, I didn’t think I would like it at all. Then, a miniscule detail just reached out and grabbed me:
“Mrs. Newman poured him an iced tea, and he drank it down in two gulps. Harvey raised an eyebrow to Abby and winked, which neither older woman noticed. Abby certainly noticed.”
I met my husband when I was 17, and the first thing he did to catch my attention was wink at me. 20 years later, and he still does it. Such a tiny gesture that probably changed my life.
And Abby’s. One thing leads to another to first love. Harvey and Abby share something special, but will it last? My intrest turned to Abby’s character at this point and how she affects the overall picture.
In my opinion, one of the definitive marks of a great story is the author’s ability to weave genuine actions into the fiber of their characters. Through this, the reader feels or remembers something significant from the past, and a connection is made.
I found this story to be character driven. Abby is the center holding everything together. All is well until her one true love and her brother join the war after Pearl Harbor. Nothing could stop their leaving. In the men’s absence, Abby cares for everyone and everything. Through tragedy and joy, Abby is a steadfast presence to her family and friends.
This story is a stark reminder of the horrors of war and their far reaching consequences. Abby endures hopeless hope, betrayal, tragedy, despair and bleak acceptance.
She is so young, not even twenty, and deserves some happiness. If given one chance at overwhelming redemption, will Abby take it? Is she strong or hopeful enough to stand tall and speak her truth?
True love conquers all, right?
Allison Wells has written a beautiful story about an ugly part of history. Every family was changed in some way by WWII. Abby and her family are one little example. Imagine how many untold sorrows have been laid to rest. Remember them.
Thank you to Just Read Tours and Allison Wells for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
A lovely story set in the 1940’s. It is a unique story in that it focuses on the thoughts, actions and emotions of the people left state side. I thought it was an encouraging and thought provoking book, and it really didnt gloss over different aspects of being newly in love which I appreciated as it made the book more realistic than some 🙂 . I truly enjoied reading this book even though at first I wasn’t sure that i’d like it. I do recommend reading it, as it has a ver believable perspective. I volunteered to read this book in return for my honest feed back, the opinions expressed within are my own.
In War-Torn Heart, Abigail and Harvey meet in small town South Carolina in 1941 and quickly fall in love. When Pearl Harbor is bombed and Harvey enlists in the Army, Abigail is devastated and understandably worried about their future.
This story is one that is common to the time period, to those men and women who went to war and left loved ones behind who prayed for their return. With the threat of injury, death, and PTSD, everyone was affected in one way or another, and War-Torn Heart addresses some of these situations. Without giving anything away, I will say that the story is sweet and simple, and it reminds me of books from the past. As others have mentioned, there is great detail and emphasis on young love and the kissing and temptations that come with that. The pacing of the story was also a bit off at times. Sometimes there were a lot of details like the radio broadcast of President Roosevelt’s speech when he declared war. That felt a little out of place. Other times, a chapter would skip ahead months or years into the future. I would’ve preferred a more fluid timeline.
Overall, this story is a sweet glimpse into the past but definitely not for young readers due to its level of romance. I received a copy of this book from JustRead Tours and am under no obligation to provide a positive review. All opinions are my own.
War-Torn Heart by Allison Wells is a heartfelt coming-of-age story set against the 1940s backdrop of a world at war. The story focuses mainly on one family and the effects of World War II on their lives in rural South Carolina. It was this southern setting that first drew me to the story, and the story conveys a vivid feel for the area.
I enjoyed Abby, a sweet young lady who embodies the charm and strength that I love about many southern women. Life changed for Abby when she met Harvey, a Clemson military cadet, during the summer of her sixteenth year. My favorite part was learning about Clemson – an all-male, all-white military school at the time – through Harvey’s eyes. No family remains untouched through the long years of war, and I appreciated that its effects are not glossed over in this story.
War-Torn Heart is a bittersweet, yet heartwarming story, with faith applied to daily living. Like the other books I’ve read by this publisher, Ambassador International, this story has a genuine faith thread that I appreciated. The writing seemed a little wordy at times, with more telling than showing, and I longed for greater character depth. An interesting read overall, though.
Although Abby is 16 when she meets Harvey, this story is not targeted to a teen audience, but rather for adults. Romance is a major theme, and while it doesn’t go beyond kissing, there’s a lot of focus on romantic longing and many of these scenes are a little more descriptive than I like. Older teens would possibly enjoy War-Torn Heart.
I received a copy of this book through JustRead Tours. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
If you’d like a book that focuses on one family’s journey through WWII, one that you can really do a deep-dive on, this may be your book. “War-Torn Heart” picks up before Pearl Harbor and follows Abby’s family as they respond to the “day of infamy” and the overall course of the war.
I unfortunately didn’t care for “War-Torn Heart,” myself. While the premise was interesting, I found the characters one dimensional, and the plot fairly slow moving. (Though this might have been partially due to reading a very fast-paced and short trilogy at the same time as this book — Robin Patchen’s “Beauty in Flight” series!)
Inclusion of nearly all (if not all) of FDR’s Pearl Harbor speech seemed out of place to me. While certainly a significant and moving speech, its full inclusion decreased the gravity of the situation and didn’t advance the plot.
The writing was very wordy and left little to the imagination, including several franker-than-I’d-like discussions on certain topics. In general, I didn’t feel enough was left to the reader’s own inference — many components felt explained overmuch.
That being said, the book did provide a look at a fascinating and sad point in world history. I did enjoy reading about Harvey’s time as a cadet at Clemson College. It was an all-male military school at that time (indeed, until 1955) — very different from now! (It actually reminded me a little bit of Gilbert Morris and Lynn Morris’s “Toward the Sunrising” in that regard. Shadrach Forrest Luxton, anyone?)
I received a copy of the book from JustReads Publicity Tours. All opinions are my own.