I'll be Seeing You

I brought five books on our eight day camping trip which was a bit much, but anything is possible. ;) I ended up reading 3, technically finishing the last one on our first day home.  I could have read more but I did spend two nap times drinking Bloody Mary's and catching up with relatives!

I'll be Seeing You by Suzanne Hayes and Loretta Nyhan was one of my birthday gifts that I had been holding on too.  I loved it! My only complaint was the end.  Obviously, all books must end, but I felt like we hit the conclusion of some tension and then let's quickly wrap this up! Not to give away a spoiler, but I wish more details had been given towards an occasion that happens at the very end and that the last poem shared was a bit more explained and possibly that more letters were shared post-war.

Description: "I hope this letter gets to you quickly. We are always waiting, aren't we? Perhaps the greatest gift this war has given us is the anticipation..."

It's January 1943 when Rita Vincenzo receives her first letter from Glory Whitehall. Glory is an effervescent young mother, impulsive and free as a bird. Rita is a sensible professor's wife with a love of gardening and a generous, old soul. Glory comes from New England society; Rita lives in Iowa, trying to make ends meet. They have nothing in common except one powerful bond: the men they love are fighting in a war a world away from home.

Brought together by an unlikely twist of fate, Glory and Rita begin a remarkable correspondence. The friendship forged by their letters allows them to survive the loneliness and uncertainty of waiting on the home front, and gives them the courage to face the battles raging in their very own backyards. Connected across the country by the lifeline of the written word, each woman finds her life profoundly altered by the other’s unwavering support.

A collaboration of two authors whose own beautiful story mirrors that on the page, I’ll Be Seeing You is a deeply moving union of style and charm. Filled with unforgettable characters and grace, it is a timeless celebration of friendship and the strength and solidarity of women.

I loved how the book was comprised of letters between the two women and letters they sent to their husbands and sons and other people.  There were enough details given that it wasn't hard to follow and I really liked the style it was written.

I can't even pick a favorite woman.  Both had stories that I enjoyed reading about.  Sometimes when books split perspectives there is one perspective that I prefer but in this book, I enjoyed both equally and didn't have a favorite.  I think that because their lifestyles were so different you got different stories with each personality and that kept me engaged.

This book really made me wish I had a pen pal.  I could imagine myself sitting down with some pretty stationary and writing my heart out to someone far away with a cup of coffee by my side and anxiously waiting for a reply.  Email/social media is great, but snail mail still holds a place in my heart.  I miss the postcards I'd get when my grandparents would travel out West and letters my grandma would write to me.  I'm sad that I didn't keep those from my childhood.  What treasures they would be today!

I definitely recommend this for people who like WWII books and Sarah Jio books!

Have you read books about WWII with women as a focus? What books from the 1940s era do you recommend?