The Land Beneath Us by Sarah Sundin Destined to Be Bestseller

...from the publisher...
In 1943, Private Clay Paxton trains hard with the US Army Rangers at Camp Forrest, Tennessee, determined to do his best in the upcoming Allied invasion of France. With his future stolen by his brothers' betrayal, Clay has only one thing to live for--fulfilling the recurring dream of his death.

Leah Jones works as a librarian at Camp Forrest, longing to rise above her orphanage upbringing and belong to the community, even as she uses her spare time to search for her real family--the baby sisters she was separated from so long ago.
After Clay saves Leah's life from a brutal attack, he saves her virtue with a marriage of convenience. When he ships out to train in England for D-day, their letters bind them together over the distance. But can a love strong enough to overcome death grow between them before Clay's recurring dream comes true?


...my thoughts...

The Land Beneath Us is the third book in Sarah Sundin's Sunrise at Normandy series.  Each book in the series follows  a Paxton brother and their lives after a fateful night where life in a warm, loving family changed for good. Angry words, feelings of revenge and unthinkable behavior.  Each young man was a time bomb full of anger and, remorse.

Sarah Sundin is a renowned author in the Christian fiction world.  Her research on the complex theater of World War II is amazing.  Her characters come alive amid battles the reader may have seen distant descriptions of yet in reading Sarah's books find themselves in the midst of the story.  I have long been a fan of her work.  It makes me appreciate all the more, the brave men and women who served our country in dark times.

Clay and Leah's story is one beautiful love story.  Both have baggage that could upset the perennial apple cart. They are both courageous beyond their young ages.  I believe that could be said of many young people faced with the challenges of a war that caused so much uncertainty in the world.  Their faith yielded a strength of character that kept them going.  From Leah's upbringing in an orphanage to Clay's bitter feelings toward his brothers, this book came alive and has a strong message of forgiveness and difficult choices. This is a book that historical fiction readers will enjoy.  It is engaging, entertaining and full of compassion.  Yes, even a few tears showed up.  I am sad to see this series end, but I am confident that Sarah Sundin has more stories to write.