"Pen Pals"

By: Suzanne Hayes

Genres: Women's Fiction

Posted: May 10, 2013

Suzanne Hayes and Loretta Nyhan, the authors of I'LL BE SEEING YOU have never met in person. They met though each others blogs; yet together they wrote this wonderful book that combines friendship, love and war.

This story line starts in 1943 and moves to 1946. It is the story of two perfect strangers Rita and Glory, who become pen pals. Both army wives sharing their loneliness, worries, family and secrets. We learn how both are trying to deal with being without their husbands. In Rita's case, her son is also in the service. Glory is younger, with two small children, while Rita is a few years older. Though their letters, they share their story. We also meet Roylene, she is young and becomes a woman before our very eyes.

Rita teaches Glory how to plant a garden. Glory teaches Rita how to move forward in her life. Both of them teach each other what friendship is all about. We also meet Rita's next door neighbor, Mrs. K who brings a lot of humor to the story. Mrs. K is an older German woman who has her own way of coping with things. All of these women give back to their community in different ways.

Suzanne and Loretta's story gives the reader the feeling that they are right in there in their lives. I found myself crying at some parts and laughing at others. It amazed me how these two authors who have never meet could write such a great book.

I learned a lot from this book. It doesn't matter if you ever meet a person face to face, you can still become the best of friends. The authors also make you feel the pain and the hardship that people had to go though during the war. I also learned how a woman can become very independent.

Included in I'LL BE SEEING YOU, are different recipes that people used during the war. I enjoyed this glimpse into the past a lot. Several of these recipes can still be used today.

Suzanne and Loretta write like they have known each other forever and I believe that they became Rita and Glory.

Book Summary

"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'll Be Seeing You by Suzanne Hayes

I'll Be Seeing You

by: Suzanne Hayes

MIRA
June 1, 2013
On Sale: May 28, 2013
Featuring:
400 pages
ISBN: 0778314952
EAN: 9780778314950
Kindle: B00BED2UPU
Paperback / e-Book

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