Review: A Distant Melody

A Distant Melody

By Sarah Sundin

Publication date: March 1, 2010

My review:

Allie's parents expect her to marry Baxter, her boyfriend of several years. He is being groomed to take over the family business and he is willing to marry Allie even though she is "plain". Allie is grateful for Baxter's attention and she tries to be content in their relationship until a chance meeting at her friend's wedding shows her the promise of something more. Lieutenant Walter Novak is an Air Force pilot on leave when he first meets Allie Miller. He has always had trouble talking to girls but he doesn't have that problem with Allie and they share a love of music as well as their religious beliefs. Allie and Walt agree to write each other even though Walt finds out to his dismay that Allie has a boyfriend. While Walt flies dangerous missions over Nazi controlled Europe, Allie makes plans to marry Baxter though her heart is not in it.

Allie suffers from a low self esteem because her mom always tells her how plain she is and how she should be thankful she has Baxter. It was sad to see how mean her own family was to her yet Allie is not stuck up like they are. She befriends people that her family would consider beneath them. She volunteers at the hospital, writing letters for wounded soldiers and reading to them. Allie's friendship with Walt helps her to come out of her shell more and she slowly starts to view herself differently. Walt is also no stranger to not living up to parental expectations. Unlike his brothers, Walt is not considered handsome. He has chubby cheeks and the "Novak nose". He also did not follow his dad's footsteps into the ministry. However Walt's family is loving and accepting, especially his grandfather and namesake.

I like fiction that is set during this time period and I enjoyed the historical details about flying and WWII. What I really loved about the book was the characters. Both Walt and Allie have flaws which makes them more appealing characters. I connected with Allie and her self esteem struggles and I thought Walt was a fantastic guy. His love for Allie and the struggles that he goes through over the course of the novel really made him stand out as a character. A Distant Melody is the first novel in the Wings of Glory series and I look forward to reading the sequel, A Memory Between Us, featuring Walt's brother Jack. This series is sure to be a hit with fans of Christian historical fiction. 

Readalikes: Bodie Thoene, Tricia Goyer, Judith Pella's Daughters of Fortune series, Lynn Austin, Susan May Warren, Elyse Larson