December 2012

MARGARET FROM MAINE by Joseph Monninger has at its heart a young mother who is raising her young son as her husband, who was gravely injured in war, lies in a coma at a local veterans hospital. Margaret visits her husband regularly where life is at a standstill and then goes back to their dairy farm to keep that going with her father-in-law. Her life is sedate, measured and full of responsibility. As she heads to Washington, D.C. for a ceremony honoring wounded soldiers, she is escorted by Charlie King. In Charlie she finds a new love, but is torn between these feelings and her commitment to her marriage vows. It’s both a wonderful love story and an impassioned look at the toll of war, the world of soldiers, and those who love them.

If you enjoyed Kristin Hannah’s HOME FRONT, you will want to explore MARGARET FROM MAINE. I highly recommend it…and am so happy to share it as my last Bookreporter.com Bets On selection for 2012. Oh, Kristin has read it, and here is what she says about it: "MARGARET FROM MAINE is a heartfelt, romantic novel about love, loss, the consequences of war, and the price of honor. It reminds us in surprising and gentle ways that love appears when you least expect it and stays true in dark times." By the way, HOME FRONT is out in paperback on January 8th. Teaming these two books together for a book group discussion would be a terrific idea --- or those who just enjoy looking at a theme in different ways will enjoy reading them as a pair.