Adventures in Reading: Through Waters Deep

Friends, I hardly know where to begin this post. A new book, in a new series, from my favorite author...I have been beyond excited to read this book for over a year! (And when I did get my hands on it, I may have stayed up until the wee hours of the morning to finish it...I couldn't put it down! But, I'm getting ahead of myself...)

Through Waters Deep is the first book in Sarah Sundin's Waves of Freedom trilogy. Having read all of the books in Sundin's Wings of Glory series and Wings of the Nightingale series, I can safely say that I very much enjoy Sundin's style of writing. And Through Waters Deep met and exceeded my expectations. Here is a little about the story:

Mary Stirling and Jim Avery, childhood acquaintances, are reunited in Boston. In the months leading up to the United States officially entering WWII, Mary and Jim feel the tension between the internationalists and the isolationists at every street corner. Mary works at the Boston Navy Yard as a secretary, taking notes on everything, quietly observing. Jim is a Navel officer on the USS Atwood, a destroyer that is assigned to escort British convoys across the North Atlantic and protect them from German U-boat attacks. Jim is a 'go with the flow' kind of man but that changes when a plot to sabotage the USS Atwood and other ships constructed in the Boston Navy Yard is uncovered. Mary and Jim work together to find the truth behind the attacks. 

There are so many layers to this book, a paragraph hardly can do it justice. Sundin's extensive research of the time period and places of which she writes is evident in the specific historical details included in nearly every page. (Sundin actually shared some pictures from her researching trip to Boston on her blog) From the streets in and around the Boston Navy Yard, to life on the destroyer USS Atwood, Sundin's details make you feel like you are right there, being chased by a German U-boat. The characters of Mary and Jim are complex and deep - each of them has issues from their past that they are still working through. And as a result developing new and deeper relationships with God and each other. The plot is unpredictable and included much more mystery than some of her previous books did, which I very much enjoyed. Most historical fiction books about WWII take place when the war is already happening - so I really found it interesting that Sundin chose to write this one just before the US entered the war. And when I finished reading it, I wished that there was more (which is my only complaint!). But I'm hoping we will find out a little more about what happens with Mary and Jim in one of the next two books in the series....but we have to wait a whole year to find out!! 

In the mean time: 


Join Sarah in celebrating the release of Through Waters Deep by entering to win an Anchors Aweigh prize pack!

One grand prize winner will receive:

• A copy of Through Waters Deep
• A nautical tote bag
• A set of compass rose notecards
• A "Hope Anchors the Soul" journal
• A Boston Tea Party earl grey tea set
• A Through Waters Deep apron
• A set of nautical tea towels

 

Enter today by clicking the icon below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on August 24th. The winner will be announced August 25th on Sarah's blog.

I was given this book for free in exchange for my review of it - however the opinions expressed in this post are all my own true opinions.