Olivia Dunne, a studious minister’s daughter who dreams of being an archaeologist, never thought that the drama of World War II would affect her quiet life in Denver. An exhilarating flirtation reshapes her life, though, and she finds herself banished to a rural Colorado outpost, married to a man she hardly knows. Overwhelmed by loneliness, Olivia tentatively tries to establish a new life, … finding much-needed friendship and solace in two Japanese American sisters who are living at a nearby internment camp. When Olivia unwittingly becomes an accomplice to a crime and is faced with betrayal, she finally confronts her own desires. Beautifully written and filled with memorable characters, Creel’s novel is a powerful exploration of the nature of trust and love.
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I saw the Hallmark movie based on this book a few years ago and knew I wanted to read the novel. Finally got around to it. While different from the movie, I enjoyed the book every bit as much. The characters are multi-layered. And I felt like I was living on that farm in the wide expanse of land with the wind for company.
A beautiful story of redemption, hope, friendship, and love set against the challenging times of World War II. The author does a superb job of portraying the setting and feelings of the era, as well as those that withstand the test of time. A must-read!
Olivia Dunne, a studious minister’s daughter who dreams of being an archaeologist, never thought that the drama of World War II would affect her quiet life in Denver. An exhilarating flirtation reshapes her life, though, and she finds herself banished to a rural Colorado outpost, married to a man she hardly knows. Overwhelmed by loneliness, Olivia tentatively tries to establish a new life, finding much-needed friendship and solace in two Japanese American sisters who are living at a nearby internment camp. When Olivia unwittingly becomes an accomplice to a crime and is faced with betrayal, she finally confronts her own desires. Beautifully written and filled with memorable characters, Creel’s novel is a powerful exploration of the nature of trust and love
This book brought tears to my eyes.
Inspired by true events, this is a gentle but moving story of a troubled young woman in an arranged marriage. As she makes friends with two sisters in a WWII Japanese American internment camp in Colorado, she gradually begins to find joy again and appreciate the “ordinary” blessings of her new life.
Simply written easy to real. Captured my interest and kept me turning the pages.
I had seen the movie version, so I was curious to read the book. It didn’t disappoint. Very well written & heartwarming
Even though it was very slow, I really liked it. It was very sweet, and made me think that someone you seem to have nothing in common with can turn out to be someone you could really like.I loved the way they never had sex but developed a sweet relationship that could become very loving.
I saw the TV movie of this book, a little different in how the part about the Japanese girls and the part they played in the escape of the German POWs, the book builds up slower but more powerfully in its conclusion. A simple love story in a not-so-simple time in the history of this country, I absolutely loved it. Highly recommended.
I started this book after lunch and finished right after dinner the same day. I just had to know what happened! A happy ending to an arranged marriage in 20th century America felt unlikely, but I knew this book was made into a movie so I figured the author must have pulled it off. And she did! This was everything I want in a book–characters that pull you in, authentic historical details, a musical writer’s voice, deeply romantic in an understated, realistic way that stays with you, thought-provoking storyline, lessons learned that lead to personal growth, and a very satisfying happily ever after. This story is also told in first person which I adore. This is a very readable and enjoyable book. It does have gently related sex and sensuality. There was nothing gratuitous about it; in order for the reader to understand the beauty of their relationship, certain things needed to be shared. Pick this one up; you won’t be sorry!
The author is a real word-smith. Beautiful prose and a thoughtful story.
I really enjoyed reading this. I had seen the Hallmark movie version so I was curious to read it. So much more in the book!
Eh. It was fine. Just didn’t really grab me that much. I think I liked the Hallmark movie version better. And that’s saying something, considering what a book-lover I am. I saw the movie first, and was curious to read the original book, especially after finding out from reviews that the ending was different than the movie.
It definitely was different. Less happy and perfect than the movie, but not a terrible tragedy either. Just sort of mixed emotions. There was nothing blatantly wrong with it, and I certainly don’t think it was racist, as at least one reviewer bizarrely claimed. (The entire book kept pointing out again and again how unfair the treatment of Japanese Americans was, and how wrong it was to act like they were the enemy, yet somehow the ending of the book was supposed to be racist? Why? Because some Japanese Americans did something illegal? They did that in the movie too. I don’t know what the issue was for that particular reviewer. Just weird.)
It wasn’t a bad book. Just nothing to write home about.
Excellent book.
Loved it
I can only afford Kindle unlimited