sweet and endearing! Some of the letters made me cry. A loving look inside life in the past. A testament to romance and friendship.

I love hsitorical fiction and biographies as well as a good love story. This book has it all (except the fiction). The collection of love letters from a soldier to his wife are a preserved piece of history laid out for your enjoyment. If you need a break from the sadness and despair of the real world, He Wrote Her Every Day is a reminder of the beauty and love that exists in real life, not just the movies.

A great read. I enjoyed reading it and it has a great plot and characters. I also look forward to more books from the author.

I cannot find the exact words to express how deeply inspiring this book was, about Private James "Jim" William Hendrickson Jr., and his devotion to his family, his country, but most importantly his beloved wife, Irene. Thank you very much Gail Lindenberg for writing and sharing your late father's story with us all. Private James William Hendrickson was truly an honourable man who served until the end, and can be relied upon to keep his word. He was also a brilliant leader as his men trusted and respected him. Additionally, he was also an incredibly funny and witty in his interactions with others.He loved his wife loyally and well, he always found the time to write to her and ask about her wellbeing, even when he was preoccupied with war, communicating with Irene was his lifeline. He overcame his obstacles of frustration and boredom with Army life by self learning and chatting to fellow soldiers. He never took anything for granted, after he came back from war. He understood that sometimes the ills of life take huge sacrifices.James didn't have to enlist in the Army to get his brother Bill safely home, he could've stayed with his wife and he had an occupational deferment since his work at Lockheed was deemed essential to the war effort. But he wanted to do his bit for America. Even when Jim got his well earned promotions and a medal, he always remained humble. He was courteous to everyone despite circumstances. He fully embodied the cherished values of Perseverance, Sacrifice, Honesty, Humility, Empathy, Patriotism, Simplicity and Optimism. Thank you very much Private James William Hendrickson for your service during World War Two. Your contributions will never be forgotten. We should always be grateful to all our veterans from past to present, and into the future.

Eine tief berührende Geschichte, die sich anhand von alten Briefen langsam entwickelt. Sehr schön, ergreifend und gefühlvoll.

One of the most interesting books about WWII that I have read in sometime.
Jim & his bride were married about a yr.when he thought it was his duty to enlist and go look for his brother,who had been shot down and captured by the Germans.
He left her alone and promised to write her everyday,he was gone.
He didn't quite accomplish this,but it wasn't for lack of trying.
Sometimes,he was in battle and oftentimes,the mail.dispatcher didn't make it thru.
While,away his wife lived awhile with his folks and gave birth to twins.
She moved to her own place,as soon as she could and waited for Jim's letters,no matter that he couldn't tel! her everything.

After the War ended,the Army took forever to send him home,due to dock strikes and much red tape
But make it home,he did much to his family's de!ight and his brother who had been a prisoner of War,actually beat him home.
Most of the story,is an actual account,as it's their daughter,who wrote this book.
He and his wife went on to have a normal life and had a few more children.
All of the letters he wrote and the souvenirs he sent home are now on display for the public to see.
Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review. "He Wrote Her Everyday"written by Gail Lindenberg.

Three stars: An unforgettable snapshot of history.

When Jim Hendrickson sets off for war in 1944 he leaves with a promise to his young bride. He will write her every day while he’s away. Jim manages to fulfill that promise. He writes Irene faithfully, even if that means writing at night in the latrine or on the road. There is nothing more important to him than his beautiful bride. This is Jim’s story of love and war as he treks across Germany in search of his brother, while his heart remains back home.
What I Liked:
*He Wrote Her Every Day is a lovely book, a snapshot of history if you will. I loved getting to read Jim’s letters back home to his wife Irene. His letters are beautiful, tender and heartfelt. If you are wanting to learn more about what life was like for a soldier during WWII this is a nice little book to read. I also loved the history behind the book, and learning more about Jim and Irene.
*The book incorporates Jim’s actual letters to Irene, interspersed with a bit of Irene’s view point and his daughter’s attempt to recreate Jim’s experience. I thought the letters were the best part, and I liked that that they were real and true.
*I appreciated that no matter what Jim was going through, for the most part, his letters remain upbeat and positive. Jim was an outstanding man. He never bragged or shared the ugly parts of war, instead he tries to keep everything optimistic for Irene back home. The more I learned about Jim and Irene, the more I loved them. They are true American heroes.
*I loved that this was a historical account of one soldier’s view of history. It is hard to believe that the men and women who served in WWII are quickly leaving us. Those that survive are in their nineties now, and sadly so many of them are dying without sharing their stories. I love that this author took the time to share her parents experience and their love story.
And The Not So Much:
*Even though I enjoyed the book, I found myself wishing that the format was more cohesive. The majority of the book consists of Jim’s actual letters, but then there are sections where Gail, his daughter, tries to recreate Jim’s experience. I thought she did a good enough job, but I found myself wishing that the book remained a first hand account.
*I wished that we got more of Irene’s perspective. There were many times in the letter when Jim is answering questions or refers to things that Irene wrote in her letters. Unfortunately, Irene’s letters are lost as Jim was not able to save them all. I wanted to know more about what Irene was thinking and feeling.
*I finished the book also wanting more of the author’s perspective. I wish she had filled in some of the blanks with her impressions and experiences of her parents and her extended family.
*I also found myself wanting far more information on Irene and Jim’s life after the war. I was particularly perplexed that Jim’s relationship with his brother Bill after the war was not mentioned at all.

He Wrote Her Every Day is a daughter’s quest to share her father’s war experience via his letters to his wife back home. I loved that this book consisted of Jim’s actual letters. Unfortunately, the format of the book is a bit confusing, but still worth reading. I applaud the author for taking the time to preserve her father’s account of the war. If you want a snapshot of history, check this book out.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own, and I was not compensated for this review.
Posted@Rainy Day Ramblings.

Beautifully written. Through her love and respect for the people who were this story, author Gail Lindenberg brought them to life within its pages. Read like a historical fiction novel but was dearer to this readers heart because it was real life.

The actual letters included in this book were fascinating! I started the book thinking that that was what the whole thing was going to be because I love original letters/diaries/etc. but then the book wound up being an odd mashup of Jim's real letters and the author's semi-fictionalized narrative of what Jim did while overseas. I get what the author was going for, and I appreciate the creativity, but I found it to be a little too ambitious, especially when Irene's perspective was randomly brought in at the very end. The author switches back and forth throughout the whole book between Jim's actual letters and her fictionalized narration (sometimes some present day first person segments where the author talks with her mom are sporadically included, too), but then for the last couple of chapters, she throws in Irene's view, which just doesn't seem to gel with the rest of the book. If Irene's narrative were going to be included at all, it would have felt more natural to be introduced to her from the very beginning. And honestly, I'm far more interested in Irene's experience throughout the war. She unexpectedly has twins while her husband is fighting at war, and she doesn't see him for over a year? Fascinating! I also think that if the book had gone from Irene's point of view, then the letters from Jim would have felt a bit more integrated.

I hate how negative I sound in this review because I hate giving less than glowing responses, so I do want to reiterate that the letters were my favorite part of the whole thing, and I was really into the Author's Note at the very end that mentions the significance of Jim's letters in a social/cultural historic view of the European theater and how his letters are currently at the WWII museum in Louisiana. It's fascinating to think that that vast number of letters has become such an important part of WWII history from an American perspective, and I'm so happy for the author and her family as their loved one gets some much deserved recognition! Gail Lindenberg clearly loves the subjects of her writing, and that's the most important thing because then it helps us (the readers) fall in love with her subjects, too.

If you're into reading historic letters, then I'd recommend this book, but I'd also throw out a warning that it's a mix of a primary source, a memoir, and biographical fiction all at once. It's a bit chaotic, but if you're prepared for it, then it might not be as jarring as it was for me.

I received this book "He Wrote Her Every Day" from NetGalley and all opinions expressed are my own. Hard book to get into. I liked reading the letters but it sort of become boring after a while. The book just didn't hold my interest.

Gail Lindenberg’s He Wrote Her Every Day is the story of her GI father’s Second World War, told mainly through his letters and I chose it partly for research, partly so I could review it and partly because I knew I would enjoy it.

It was a fascinating insight into the life of an American soldier, both training before traveling to Europe and in the final push across Belgium and Germany. Because it was based on Jim’s letters home there are no gory details as he held them back from his wife, but it’s an accurate historical account of one soldier’s war as well as the love story of the early days of his marriage.

Recommended as a good read and a research resource.

Thank you net galley for the advance reader copy of the novel. I enjoyed reading about the ups, downs, and everything in between for a solider during WWII. I appreciated the author sharing personal lettersto glimpse the emotional spectrum. It would have been wonderful to have had some of the reply letters! Great concept for a novel.

This is a sweet story of Jim and Irene Hendrickson. It chronicles the experience of WWII through the eyes of Jim in letters that he sent to Irene while stationed in Germany.

While the story was sweet, I felt that it lacked a “Wow” moment. I would have liked to have seen more from Irene’s perspective. More of a story behind the letters.

I was provided this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

Such a sweet memoir that makes it hard to believe that love doesn't exist.. :) Thelove and sacrifice portrayed, along with a behind the scenes look at World War II was eye-opening, intriguing, and awe-inspiring.

For me, this was so much more than a simple love story. Firstly we do see the pure love and devotion of one man to his wife, you can feel the adoration he has for her in the notes he wrote, you get the sense of her being his beacon of light in times that we know would have been hellish.

There is more though, a first hand glimpse into the lives these soldiers had to lead on a daily basis albeit from the perspective of finding 'lighter' things to write home to his wife about and not detailing the absolute horror he must have been encountering.
As I read through the letters and retelling of his story, I really was captivated by the unique descriptions of being in the army, his training and time spent travelling but also the camaraderie between soldiers that gave me a smile and is true testament to the strength of character Jim and his fellow officers had.

This is a well written and cleverly put together memoir that lets us experience the war from a different perspective whilst giving us a beautiful story of love, separation and heroism.

This is a story based on actual letters written between a WWII soldier stationed overseas and his wife. (The book is written by their daughter.) It gives details of what war life was like without getting into gory details, which I appreciated with this book. It also gave details on the trials these men went through trying to get back home once the war was over. This wasn't something I had read about in other WWII books and never gave much thought to but I found the waiting difficult, I can only imagine what it would be like to have lived it! I've gone back and forth with a rating for this book. It's somewhere between and 4 & 5 for me.

A nice easy read good story of how life was waiting for loved ones coming home from war
Thanks to netgalley for an early copy in return for an honest review

Through the daily notes and letters sent home to his wife and family in 1944 by Private James William Hendrickson, Jr., and conversations between his wife and mother, we see WWII with it's many diverse experiences and personal sacrifices through the eyes of this family. It is presented very well, keeping you on the edge of your seat, and brings to those war facts you already know a softening, a sense of humanity often lost in the shuffle.

This was an excellent addition to my History Research Shelf. It is a book I will want to read again, and savor the lessons presented there.

I received a free electronic copy of this historical novel based on fact, told through letters and the memories of these left behind, from Netgalley, Gail Lindenberg, and Sapere Books in exchange for an honest review. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me.

This memoir was so much better than a love story, as it was told via a soldier's letters home to his love that he promised to write to everyday he was away. The letters not only captured the love that he had for the woman he was writing to, but they gave insight into what daily life was like for a soldier during World War II.

A lovely book of love bravery beneath the darkness of ww11 .Jim a young soldier promises to write his beloved bride everyday as he fought in the war.A raw look at war an intimate look at their lives his hopes and dreams for them. This reads like the best historical fiction but even better it’s true.Highly recommend.#netgalley#saperebooks,