1968 – 1971Charlotte Parsons is devastated over losing her brother in the Vietnam War. Desperate to learn more about the war, she joins a group of college women who send letters to soldiers and befriends Joseph Russo, a young soldier. But a few months after they begin corresponding, his letters stop coming, and Char moves on, still confused as to why so many young lives are being lost so far away … so far away from home.
Two years later, Char begins college in her small Illinois town of Grand Falls. She’s been dating her brother’s long-time best friend, Deke Masterson, who is a senior in college and is deep into the anti-war movement. Char is still confused over how she feels about the war. Then a stranger comes to town and changes everything.
Joseph Russo served in the Vietnam War, earning a Purple Heart for his injury as well as a life-long limp. He’s ready to put the war behind him. While in Vietnam, he’d corresponded with a girl from Grand Falls and he enjoyed reading about her idyllic life. When he’s discharged, he moves there to attend college. And when he meets Charlotte in person, he’s taken with her sweetness, intelligence, and beauty.
The battle lines are drawn as Deke resents Joe’s presence around Char. What started out as a well-deserved escape to a small town for Joe soon turns into a battle of wills between him and the idealistic Deke. And there stands Charlotte, right in the middle.
Night Music is a story about a moment in time when the world was chaotic and nothing was completely clear. In the midst of all the chaos, can Char and Joe find enough middle ground to fall in love?
What readers are saying about Night Music:
–“Sletten has crafted an emotional story centered with conflict that brings the characters to life.” ~ Write-Read-Life
–“Characters who feel three-dimensional, a setting that is almost its own character, and a story that entertains while also challenging us to think.” Melissa at Bibliotica
–“All the characters seemed so real…” Comfy Reading
–“It was refreshing to read a story based on the late 1960’s…” Sara at Chick Lit Central
— “A wonderful job of capturing both the turmoil and the love of that time.” Susan at The Book Bag
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Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book.
I have read a couple of this authors books and loved them. This one is no different. It’s such a great story. I was a very small child during this war but had an older brother who was there and a cousin or two.
This is a very touching story. It pulls you right in and won’t let go. I truly loved it. I cried, laughed and felt a full heart while reading. It made me feel like I was right there with the characters. Some I didn’t care for but most were wonderful. Loved this book from start to finish. A must read.
More of a coming of age story than a love story. But worth reading for praise of Vietnam vets
NIGHT MUSIC: A NOVEL by Deanna Lynn Sletten is a beautifully written genre story that is a cross between a sweet romance and women’s fiction. The time period is 1968 to 1971 and the setting a small college town in Illinois. Ms. Sletten takes you back to the social and cultural turmoil of the Vietnam War. A soldier’s return to build the life he has only dreamed of in the jungles of Vietnam, a charismatic student anti-war leader and a girl finding herself, loved by both.
Charlotte Parsons lost her older brother after only three months in Vietnam. Her family is devastated, but proud of his service. Charlotte wants to know more about this war that took her brother, so she lies about her age and joins a group that writes letters to soldiers overseas. She corresponds with a soldier named Joseph Russo. Char tells Joe all about the small town life she loves and Joe shelters Char from the horrors of the war that took her brother. After only a few months, the letters stop. Char does not know why they stop, but she moves on with her high school life.
Two years later, Char begins college. Char is dating Deke Masterson, her brother’s best friend from high school. Deke is the leader of the anti-war movement on their college campus. He is dedicated to the cause and wants Char to participate. Char hates that she lost her brother, but she does not really have her own opinions on the war. He father fought in WWII and her parents believe their son died doing his duty, while Deke preaches that all the men fighting in Vietnam are baby killers and killing innocent villagers.
Joe has come home wounded. He will have a life-long limp, but he feels blessed to be home alive. He moves to Grand Falls to put the war behind him and go to college in the small town of his letters from Char. He cannot believe his luck to meet her in person. She is as sweet and beautiful as her letters. He befriends Char and her parents. As Deke becomes more radical, and Joe shows Char only respect, kindness and understanding, Char has a choice to make.
I so loved this book and will remember the characters long into the future. I was a preteen in the time period of this book and can understand and identify with all the characters. My family is full of veterans and we were taught to always respect their service, but I was also watching the horrors of the war nightly on the news and heard of the atrocities. Ms. Sletten’s book captures all sides of the conflict with believable characters. I also loved the character development of Charlotte, growing from a sheltered high school girl to a college coed who learns to think for herself and realize all the shades of grey in the world. This is a sweet romance with no sex scenes on the page.
I will always be listening for night music.
2.5 Stars.
When you can still hear the sounds of animals at night, you know everything is going to be fine. I haven’t read too many books about the Vietnam War, so that was a nice change from your typical WW2 books.
This book features Joe, who received letters from a stranger from a small town during the war. When he is wounded and sent home, he goes to live in this small town that seemed so idealistic and peaceful compared to what he is used to. He meets the author of the letters in real life, Charlotte. He falls in love with her.
It was interesting to read more about the United States controversial feeling on the war, especially those who were college aged. I found Joe’s character to be uninteresting though. The books was fairly slow, not that that is always a bad thing. I enjoyed that the love story was not insta-love and progressed slow.
**There is non-detailed sex, smoking, drinking, suicide, and violence.
I read an advanced unfinished digital copy I received from the publisher through Net Gallery for my honest review