Book Review: The Sky Above Us

Photo: Goodreads
Series: Sunrise at Normany #2

(Click the cover image to visit Goodreads)

"Numbed by grief and harboring shameful secrets, Lt. Adler Paxton ships to England with the US 357th Fighter Group in 1943. Determined to become an ace pilot, Adler battles the German Luftwaffe in treacherous dogfights in the skies over France as the Allies struggle for control of the air before the D-day invasion.

Violet Lindstrom wanted to be a missionary, but for now she serves in the American Red Cross, where she arranges entertainment for the men of the 357th in the Aeroclub on base and sets up programs for local children. Drawn to the mysterious Adler, she enlists his help with her work and urges him to reconnect with his family after a long estrangement.

Despite himself, Adler finds his defenses crumbling when it comes to Violet. But D-day draws near. And secrets can't stay buried forever.

Bestselling author Sarah Sundin returns readers to the shores of Normandy, this time in the air, as the second Paxton brother prepares to face the past--and the most fearsome battle of his life." (Goodreads)

I received this book yesterday. I finished it yesterday. It's rare for me to devour a book in one sitting, but it was unavoidable with this gem. I absolutely loved it, and I didn't want to put it down for anything. It was full of everything that I love in Sarah Sundin's books - clean romance, WWII drama, plenty of action, a mystery to solve, and fabulous characters. All in all, it definitely made for a 5-star book.

I really loved how BOTH characters had to go on a journey of redemption, not just one or the other. It drives me crazy when one party is set up to be the perfect one, and the other has to elevate to that level. Not so here. Both Adler and Violet (I really love that name!) had to come to terms with parts of themselves that weren't up to their standards. They traveled the path together, with God, and on their own at times. It was very believable and something I could totally relate to. I really liked both of them and was cheering for them the whole time. 

I appreciate how much painstaking research Sarah does into the battles she writes. I'm a student of WWII myself, and I didn't see anything that gave me pause. She's very careful with her history, and I really like that. It makes the war come alive, and helps me immerse myself in the story. In my opinion, that's the hallmark of a fantastic writer!

In the end, I absolutely loved this, would recommend it to anyone looking for a good historical fiction read, any fans of WWII fiction, and pretty much just anyone. My one complaint is that I now have to wait a year for Clay's story...

You might also like:
Literally anything else by Sarah Sundin
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
A Secret Courage by Tricia Goyer
The Line That Divides by Melanie Mason
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer