For Love and Glory
by Cindy Bonner
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Pub Date Apr 26 2022 | Archive Date Aug 20 2022
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Description
For Love and Glory opens in 1940 as Lange DeLony, a civilian pilot in Texas, is down on his luck-no car, no money saved, and his ex-wife has just been killed in a car accident. With his self-esteem at low tide, he learns Britain is recruiting American pilots to fly for the Royal Air Force. Knowing he needs a fresh start, he joins the RAF and is posted to a fighter squadron east of London. On the train headed there he meets a Canadian ferry pilot. Mackie MacLeod seems self-assured, but she's lonely. What begins as a hasty war-time romance turns into an intense love affair.
Once the United States enters the war the danger intensifies. Each fighter mission becomes more treacherous. The war seems endless and unbearable, when late in 1943, Mackie's worst fear happens: Lange is shot down over enemy territory. He lucks into help from a Belgian escape line and spends months evading the enemy. When the escape line is broken by the German Gestapo in Paris, Lange's luck runs out. For the remainder of the war, his single, all-consuming desire is to survive and get back to Mackie.
Advance Praise
"A beautiful tale of purpose, courage and love that transcends time periods and generations.
Cindy Bonner's For Love and Glory follows Lange DeLony, a young man who loves to fly. He avoids his problems as he searches futilely for purpose and happiness. After a tragic loss, Lange is even more determined to escape his painful reality and decides to join the Royal Air Force during WWII in a fight that isn't even his own. Along his journey he meets ferry pilot Mackie MacLeod, and discovers more about himself and how to truly find what is missing in his life.
The characters are so real and seem to explode off of the pages. Lange especially shows tremendous change as the readers see him thrive on his strengths and battle with his weaknesses. What is interesting to note is that so many different characters affected by the same war have such varied attitudes, desires and motivations. This makes the reading very intriguing as the reader watches each storyline and sees how each character makes choices and deals with the consequences afterwards.
The language and writing style are as varied as the characters. At times the words are witty as seen by, '""Excuse her. She's not used to being polite.""' On other occasions they are thought-provoking: ""It is not necessary to be a hearing person to know when anger has won."" Action scenes are written with sharp, short sentences which create that intense, adrenaline filled feeling: ""His legs trembled. Heart hammered in his ears."" Bonner's constant language and style changes keep the readers locked in and make the storytelling more impactful.
For Love and Glory explores themes related to Identity and Purpose. Readers should be able to relate to the characters who are trying to find themselves in the midst of chaos and war. In this way, the plot goes beyond a Historical Fiction set in the 1940s and hones in on the truth about humanity despite the age or time period - there's a need to be accepted, to be loved and discover what makes one thrive in the world in which one lives.
The story has lots of information and facts which may elude some readers and cause them to be lost at times. But Bonner does a great job in maintaining the authenticity of the time which makes the story so realistic. Readers who enjoy Historical Fiction or stories about love, war and purpose, should definitely read this book. - Renee Padmore, Reedsy Discover "
Available Editions
| ISBN | 9798985922530 |
| PRICE | $8.99 (USD) |
Links
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews
Ethel F, Reviewer
As a fan of historical fiction I found this book well written and enjoyable Rich with details and great character development, it held my interest from start to finish. My thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review..
Kiaran J, Reviewer
A evocative and endearing WW2 saga, For Love and Glory tells the story of Lange DeLony from Texas crop duster to pilot in the RAF and then USAAF. Lange dropped out of college when he married Becky because he was in lust. She cheated on him and died in a car crash with another man. Lange has no money as times are tight during the Depression and decides to try to join the RAF in 1940, before the US has joined the war. He’s restless and has something to prove to his family and himself. His new life begins in England where he meets Mackie and finds love and family. Much of this story is told through letters to and from many of the book’s characters. It’s the story of why and how people cope during tough times.
Janet J, Reviewer
With his estranged wife killed in an accident and nearly broke, crop-duster Lange DeLoney reads a newspaper article recruiting American pilots to serve in the RAF. Although the US isn't yet in the war, Lange decides flying for the RAF will give him the fresh start he needs and maybe just earn him the approval he's always craved from his father. After training as a fighter pilot, Lange meets Allison "Mackie" McLeod, a pilot for the British Air Transport Auxiliary, which permits women to fly aircraft between factories and bases. Despite their different backgrounds, a love of flying draws the two together, and they embark on a wartime romance that leads to love and a fiery passion.
Although I wasn't fond of the father POV character, I enjoyed both Lange and Mackie as POV characters. They and their friends were compelling and their love story in the midst of danger and loss had me rooting for them both. Lange, in particular, drew me in, for he was a "realistic" hero, a man with doubts, one who admitted he was afraid when he flew in combat but persevered anyway. Mackie was forward-thinking without seeming too "modern" to fit the times; once their children arrive, she retires from flying to become a full-time wife and mom. Their steadfast love through disagreements and the dangers inherent in wartime make their happy ending even richer. A fact-filled, rewarding, true-to-life read!
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