The Land Beneath Us

GIVEAWAY

SUNDIN, SARAH
THE LAND BENEATH US

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 Review:

Honestly, I'm a blubbering mess. I bawled my way through this novel in a heart-wrenching ugly cry kind of way. Partly because I'm current on this series so some aspects of Clay's story touched me deeply. Having said that, you could read The Land Beneath Us as a standalone but I don't  really recommend it. It will make way more of an impact if you have followed this family saga from the very beginning. Besides, you definitely want to savor every blessed minute with these Paxton men! (She says, fanning herself furiously.)

I have to express heartfelt thanks to Sarah Sundin for including a significant and very powerful inspirational thread. This story would have fallen a part without it. Touched me on so many levels. And I appreciated the fresh perspective of the Prodigal Son told from the point of view of the brother who stayed.

And Leah's quest to belong -- wrenched my heart right out of my chest! She's a heroine who has honed the ability to find blessings even in the bleakest situations. It's almost like a game for her. Kind of a grown up Pollyanna with a healthy dose of grit. :-)

As with all of Sundin's novel, her research is impeccable and she brings this time period to life -- from the homefront to the realistic training exercises through to the D-Day battles. Gut-wrenching and awe-inspiring.

And the story that ties it all together is the very essence of storytelling perfection. I hate to grade novels but this just might be my #1 read of the year and, yes, I know it's only February but it would take a lot to top The Land Beneath Us!

I listened to the audbile version of this book -- a good thing too since an actual book would have been water-logged from all my tears. Happy, sad, mad. Stunned, shocked, appalled. I cried over it all. :-) And glad to have the soothing voice of Sarah Zimmerman to keep me company throughout.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of  The Land Beneath Us, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it's easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday February 22 2020 . Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!