With Love, Wherever You Are

Dandi Daley Mackall has written the book I've wanted to write, but never thought I had the chutzpah to do it.  She has told her parents' love story in such a winsome way that the book is impossible to put down.  Because she had an inside view of her parents' lives, her characters have a depth that the characters in most novels don't get to.  Dandi was able to pick her parents minds and get the real low-down on the places and settings for the novel, as well as get the real low-down on the relationship between her parents.

Helen Eberhardt is one of thirteen children, and against her father's wishes, she went to nursing school.  After finishing nursing school, she was working in a hospital that catered to the wealthy who were demanding and spoiled. After a run-in with a particularly trying patient, she quit and enlisted in the Army.  Her first day in an Army hospital, she was assigned to the amputee ward.  After her first look, she ran into the men's restroom to gather her wits.  That's where she met Frank Daley, and for him, that was all it took for him to fall in love.

Eventually both were sent to Europe to different hospitals and the only way they had to communicate was to write letters, copious numbers of letters.

There are more than a few similarities between my parents' story and Dandi's, but there are quite a few differences.  Neither of my parents were in the medical professions, nor were either of them in the Army.  Daddy was in the Coast Guard, but he was willing to take the same kinds of risks Frank took, but for different reasons.  Still this narrative reminded me much of my parents' lives, I thoroughly loved the book.

Five Stars, Two Thumbs Up, and a letter from your true love.

My thanks to Tyndale House for allowing me to read and review this book.