Oh, this book! I preordered it, so it arrived in my mailbox on release day, but it kept getting pushed out of the way in favor of review books. But I knew I had several hours in the car ahead of me at the beginning of the week, so I threw it in my purse. And then once I started reading, I couldn't stop!
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 airbase Aeroclub, 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.
The Sky Above Us, book two in Sundin's "Sunrise at Normandy" series, tells the story of Adler Paxton and Violet Lindstrom. A pilot, Adler is on the run from his past—his world fell apart the day his girlfriend tragically died, he tried to kill his brother Wyatt, and he betrayed his brother Clay. He doesn't think he's worthy of forgiveness or happiness. Violet always wanted to be a missionary, but she instead finds herself running an Aeroclub with the American Red Cross in England. As Violet and Adler get to know each other, their relationship builds ... but Adler doesn't think he deserves Violet, and Violet thinks Adler is a distraction from God's call on her life.
At first, I didn't much like Violet—she was too judgmental, too rigid, too desperate for her missionary aunt's approval. Then I realized that the reason I really didn't like her was that I saw shades of myself in her! The lessons that Violet learned throughout the novel were ones that I've had to learn, as well.
While I had to warm up to Violet, I loved Adler from the beginning, and I loved watching his journey to faith and then the changes that resulted in his life after committing himself to the Lord. And his fractured and then slowly repaired relationship with his family gave me lots of feels.
This book runs concurrently with The Sea Before Us (focusing on Wyatt Paxton) and the upcoming The Land Beneath Us (focusing on Clay Paxton), but it takes the reader a tad further in time than The Sea Before Us did, providing a small bit of resolution for the brothers. I can't wait to see it all come together in The Land Beneath Us! 5 stars.
Buy the book. (affiliate link)
Read my reviews of Sundin's The Sea Before Us (5 stars); her Waves of Freedom novels Anchor in the Storm (5 stars), Through Waters Deep (5 stars), and When Tides Turn (5 stars); her Wings of the Nightingale series With Every Letter (5 stars), On Distant Shores (5 stars), In Perfect Time (5 stars); and her Wings of Glory book Blue Skies Tomorrow (5 stars).
Sarah Sundin is the author of the Waves of Freedom, the Wings of the Nightingale, and the Wings of Glory series. A graduate of UC San Francisco School of Pharmacy, she works on call as a hospital pharmacist. During WWII, her grandfather served as a pharmacist's mate (medic) in the Navy and her great-uncle flew with the US Eighth Air Force. Sarah lives in California.
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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received purchased this book and chose to review it. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Also, some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click the link and make a purchase, I will receive a small commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."
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