Norman G. Gautreau

Is it enough to say that this book had some of the most beautiful prose describing some of the most horrific episodes of World War II?!

Henry Budge is 92 years old and maneuvering with difficulty. He has some wonderful stories to tell and this one is about a love found and lost on the battlefields of France in 1944. It is a story that teaches us “The pleasure of love lasts only a moment; the grief of love lasts a lifetime.” The story also pays tribute to the courageous men and women of the Resistance and especially those who tried to save the children by transporting them over the Pyrenees.

There is humor, tongue-in-cheek dialog, heartbreak, fear, murder, mayhem and maybe a few too many references to the gibbous moon. There are honest and extraordinary descriptions of the Battle of the Bulge and other parachute jumps that went horribly wrong. There is a hard look at whether it is desertion to turn away from your orders to help others in great need. I found myself reaching for my tissues as tears flowed freely. When I finished the book in the evening I thought I had put it to rest but I found that I was thinking about it as I woke up and it is still with me.

Thank you NetGalley and Blank Slate Press for a copy.… (mehr)