An intriguing fictional study of a man's history, driving forces, loves, delusions. Compellingly written and threaded with haunting themes.

“If prayers are truly made of sound, the air will be filled with the splash of waterfalls and the joyful cries of free children gamboling in the surf and the singing of the women gathering bananas and hibiscus flowers….. this is just one little excerpt to show you how beautiful the writing is. What a sweet sweet gem of a book.
G.H. Budge (Henry) and Elodie stole the show in this home run of a book. I immediately fell in love with Henry, this 92-year-old cantankerous kind hearted sweet man. His only wish is to attend the 70th Anniversary of the D-Day invasion in Normandy, and to find closure after a lifetime of dreaming and yearning for the love of his life. Not that his wife, Anna, of many years was also not a true love, but Henry shows us that it is possible to have two loves in a lifetime.
The entire story is told by Henry, he switches between remembering his time in the war and his present circumstances. His time during the war is one of the best descriptive versions of war-time that I have read. I loved the way this story was told; it was like we were right there with Henry all the time. I highly recommend. This story has it all, love, loss, heartache, fun, laughter, humor and most of all, hope….
This one gets 5*****’s. I was given an advanced copy from Blank Slate Press and Net Galley for my honest review.