Although quite a short book, I enjoyed reading this and did it in one sitting !. The tale is quite fast paced and that is why I only gave it 4 stars as I felt if it had gone into more depth then the book would have been better. However, I did enjoy it and would recommend it for anyone wanting a quick read.

A lovely historical love story set in WW2 in the country area of Dakota.
Violet and John meet at school and fast become each others world. Violet contracts scarlet fever as a child, which her mother thinks will cause her to die young and with a broken hart.
Over the years John and Violet become everything to each other, then John signs up to the military.
Whist he is away, life moves sadly forward for Vi, then the death of her friend’s beau makes Vi realise she needs to not be sad and read John’s letters and correspond with him during the toughest time of his life.
A lovely story of a young women, whose life is threatened with her health, but goes forward towards love and what the future holds.

This was an interesting and different perspective on World War II. With short chapters that jump through time, the reader gets short little viewpoints on life before and after the war through one woman's point of view.

Violet is a young girl in South Dakota and she is given the opportunity to go to high school and then take a job all as the war is happening. Her childhood love decides to enlist and she must endure the war with him far from home.

I don't read books set in South Dakota that often and I actually don't read a ton of books set in the United States during this war. So I enjoyed the concept of the story. Without spoiling the ending, I did not enjoy the ending at all. It was quite frustrating and I couldn't believe that is how it ended. I wanted something completely different.

This is the first in a series and I saw a teaser of book two, but I am unsure if I can continue if I was so opposed to the ending of this first one.

If you are looking for a quick, light read this may be the novella for you. Most of the underdeveloped plot line takes place during WWII. The main character, Vivian, does little but pinefor her loved one who has gone off to war. Most of the story dwells on Vivian's emotions as she goes through her daily routine felling sorry for herself. She is constantly dreaming about her future life as a mother surrounded by many happy babies and a white picket fence. She has no other ambitions or thoughts. The war is merely an inconvenience keeping her from fulfilling her dreams. Even when she reluctantly joins the Red Cross she fails to support her one true friend who really needs her, instead taking up with other, less needy, women. The story itself is riddled with factual errors like getting heart damage as a result of scarlet fever (should be rheumatic fever) and taking weeks to dig out from a fall snow squall. The author teases us with a preview of a sequel, which I, for one will be giving a miss.

This is the first book about Mr. Smith with this one focused on his childhood and growing attraction to a neighbor who eventually becomes Mrs. Smith.

A majority of this story is set during World War II and you see the struggles that are faced by those who fought and those they left behind.

Overall, it was a nice read with the promise of another title to come focused on Mr. Smith and his life after the arrival of 2 kids with his beloved.

The author paints a vivid picture of small town life in rural South Dakota starting in the 1930s and follows the lives of two young people -- Violet and John -- as the grow up, fall in love and eventually marry. But it's not just a coming of age love story -- it's complicated.

Violet's childhood bout with scarlet fever scars her heart and changes her life. She falls in love with childhood friend John but World War II threatens not only the world but their relationship. When John enlists without talking with her first, Violet is so angry that she shuts him out of her life for months as his letters stack up. She eventually forgives him but it's an emotional struggle and their separation is painful.

I appreciated seeing through Violet's eyes the struggle to forgive what felt like a betrayal yet her prolonged anger seemed overdone at times. I found myself thinking this was all a tad to tidy ... and then it wasn't. Powerful reminder that everyday people in small towns and large share the price of war. The ending, which came too soon -- it's a novella after all -- was a surprise.

.Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy.

I very much enjoyed this novella. It was written in the first person by a young girl growing up in rural America in the run up to the second world war, and follows her through the war as a young adult. Her voice was clear and strong, and the insight into her world was charming. Although a big fan of books set during this era, I hadn't thought much about what the every day American experience of WW2 was, but this gave me an idea. It is a quick read and kept me engaged. I wanted to know the outcome. I will read her next book. Thank you for giving me the chance to review the book.

This book wasn't what I expected, but it was pretty good. There was background information given that left me hanging wondering "why did they make such a big deal of it?" until the very last page. It was an interesting perspective and short enough to be read in one sitting.

Violet has known John since they were children. She took a job until he finished school and in her heart waited and hoped that one day they would settle down and have a family. When war approaches and John enlists things take a very different turn from what she imagined. The most of this story is about Violets wait for John and the letters they write to each other and what the rest of the town and her friends are going through. This is very well written and takes you to the heart of Violet’s feelings and of those around her. I am not usually into historical fiction but this one somehow struck a chord and made a very enjoyable read. Compelling characters and an excellent storyline keep this alive right to the very end.

This was a lovely read. So beautifully written. A family saga set pre, during and post WW2 it tells the story of John and Violet growing up in a small farming town in South Dakota. The story really highlights the fear and complete lack of communication while waiting for loved ones to return. A real heart wrenching read with wonderful characters. A definite recommendation for lovers of historical fiction. So pleased there is more to come.