“Helen, do you think I’ll ever get married?” Joan asked abruptly.A very troubling thought in 1943. The Call to Serve celebrates the innocence that transcends the decades, and the beauty of true love in this story of friendship between Annie, Joan, Bernice, Helen and their men. The story is set in fictitious Abbotsville, New Jersey in the autumn of 1943. Caught between the desire to marry and have … marry and have families, and the requirement to stay patient, even vigilant, during the grim World War II era, these four Catholic heroines find comfort in the humor and solace of camaraderie.
Annie, Joan, and Bernice, all young ladies in their 20s, set out to find the loves of their lives. Annie is a fast-paced North Jersey gal whose Italian heritage is rich in the love and creation of food, much to the joy of her friends. Joan, comfortably brought up in South Jersey, is a little naïve about the ways of the world, but not in what truly counts. Bernice, the youngest of the group, and the least affluent, is wise-cracking but always the first to tune in to a situation. Beloved and a guiding force to them all is Helen, a 50-something homemaker with her own experiences of war.
When Annie’s fiancé is called up, Joan thinks there is nothing sadder in the world—that is, until she experiences her own love trauma. She falls instantly for a handsome man during a chance meeting. But she then bears the frustration of not knowing which girl he prefers, her or the bubbly redhead that won’t go away. Both girls are distracted by Bernice’s sudden and mysterious behavior, as she begins to disappear regularly into nearby Philadelphia for unknown reasons. Annie’s heart begins to break when her fiancé’s letters stop coming. Although Helen assures her this happens often when soldiers are moved around, her stable support begins to erode when, as the weeks tick by, she hears nothing from her own husband.
Will their shared love of God and family be enough to keep them together and find happy resolution to their struggles?
The Call to Serve is Book I of the Serve Series about Friendship and Love in the World War II, 1940s era.
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New Jersey author Cece Whittaker is a Christian romance writer, specializing in heartwarming ladies’ fiction. Both THE CALL TO SERVE and VICTORY GARDEN are heartwarming stories set in 1943 -44 and deal with not only the men’s call to serve in the military but also the women’s call to serve the men who have departed for war. Cece is a Christian romance author and her initial novel in this series is warm and rich in friendship and dedication and love – and humor!
The main characters of the story are Annie, Joan, Bernice and Helen – four Catholic women of varying ages who support each other in all ways as their men are off to war. As the synopsis offers, ‘The story is set in fictitious Abbotsville, New Jersey in the autumn of 1943. Caught between the desire to marry and have families, and the requirement to stay patient, even vigilant, during the grim World War II era, these four Catholic heroines find comfort in the humor and solace of camaraderie. Annie, Joan, and Bernice, all young ladies in their 20s, set out to find the loves of their lives. Annie is a fast-paced North Jersey gal whose Italian heritage is rich in the love and creation of food, much to the joy of her friends. Joan, comfortably brought up in South Jersey, is a little naïve about the ways of the world, but not in what truly counts. Bernice, the youngest of the group, and the least affluent, is wise-cracking but always the first to tune in to a situation. Beloved and a guiding force to them all is Helen, a 50-something homemaker with her own experiences of war. When Annie’s fiancé is called up, Joan thinks there is nothing sadder in the world—that is, until she experiences her own love trauma. She falls instantly for a handsome man during a chance meeting. But she then bears the frustration of not knowing which girl he prefers, her or the bubbly redhead that won’t go away. Both girls are distracted by Bernice’s sudden and mysterious behavior, as she begins to disappear regularly into nearby Philadelphia for unknown reasons. Annie’s heart begins to break when her fiancé’s letters stop coming. Although Helen assures her this happens often when soldiers are moved around, her stable support begins to erode when, as the weeks tick by, she hears nothing from her own husband. Will their shared love of God and family be enough to keep them together and find happy resolution to their struggles?’
A sample of Cece’s warm writing is evident from the opening of the book – ‘Joan took a seat at Helen’s dining room table. “Helen, do you think I’ll ever get married?” she asked. Helen looked up suddenly. “What in the world brought that on?” “Oh I don’t know, just, well, Annie and Sylvester, Bernice and Henry. . .” “They’re not engaged! Neither one of them!” “Well, don’t you think it’s just a matter of time?” “I wouldn’t give it another thought, Joan. Your friends are all your age or near it. Things may seem urgent right now, but that’s just the times—and your ages.” “How old were you when you got married?” Helen went over to the sink washed the glue from her hands. She had been showing Joan how to make jewelry from little shells. She sat down beside her. “Times were different then, really. I was young, younger than you and Annie.” “Bernice’s age?” “About that,” said Helen, nodding. “But it hasn’t been an easy road, Honey, no matter how it looks. It’s always something and then when you think you’re all set, along comes a big war!” Helen looked away and for the first time in a long time, Joan saw her older friend falter. But only for a second. “But he’s a tough old cuss. He’ll make it through,” finished Helen. “And he’s an officer.”
A refreshingly sentimental and wholesome study of friendships and how they fortify the rigors of the effects of a country at war. Cece’s Christian inspiration makes the story just that much more reminiscent of the era and the strength of the women ‘left behind’.
The Call to Serve (The Serve #1) by Cece Whittaker is a great book with an earnest tone following the lives of a group of women during wartime in 1943. Set in New Jersey, Annie, Joan, Bernice, and Helen have a lot to live for, but much of the future is unknown. This story tells of how they cope during a hard time in American history, and through their friendship and camaraderie, forge their way forward in their respective lives. Heartwarming and wholesome, the author has certainly captured the tone of the era, the reverence for God, and the love of country. This book is fantastic Christian historical fiction that will win your heart. You will want to read this story over again, just to enjoy the story and the characters. Looking forward to more in this series, highly recommend.
Period fiction rarely comes better than ‘The Call to Serve’ by Cece Whittaker. It follows four women, each of which are experiencing their own difficulties during the time of the Second World war. It is beautifully written, with characters you will fall in love with. It shows the strength of the women back then, as they watched their loved ones head off to war, not knowing if they will ever return, still having to hold the fort at home.
Although faith is an important theme in this novel, you don’t need to have a religious mindset to enjoy the resolve that God gives these four remarkable women. They find just as much support and strength in each other, making this a tale of true friendship that survives in an extremely difficult time.
To be honest, it took me a little bit to get into the rhythm of the novel, but as soon as I got it, I couldn’t stop.
This novel shows how friendship and humor can get these women through WWII. As the women’s men are off at war, they distract themselves with each other.
Through the descriptive language of Whittaker, we are able to feel how all of the character go through life without their special men.
This is a short review because this is a book that takes my words away is it is best to see for yourself and read it.
This Christian historical fiction has a lot to offer the reader. Whittaker does a great job with her characters here, they feel real and a lot of care was obviously put into them. The story is set in the 1940s and follows a handful of characters during the war.
The story starts off with Joan and Helen, setting the stage for their close friendship and touching on a bit of Joan’s persona and worry.
From there we see what it was like for these women worried about their loved ones in the war, and how to survive themselves with their mind intact. Their friendships and faith really pull them through the trying times, and the bonds there feel real even though it’s fiction. The writing is solid, and the plot pacing is good. You can get through this book and it’s over before your ready for it, great piece by Whittaker!