Book Review: Letter from Home by Carolyn Hart

Stars: 5 out of 5
Pros: Engrossing story, characters, setting

Cons: None

The Bottom Line:

Travel back in time

Small town in World War II

Engrossing story

Teenaged Gretchen Comes of Age

Stand alone books can be wonderful things. Best known for her two series, mystery author Carolyn Hart took a break from them for Letter From Home. It allowed her to try some new things and tell a different kind of story. It also encouraged me to jump in since it wasn't part of any regular series. The result? I was hooked.

GG Gilman has made much of her life. She's a famous new reporter. And she all owes it to the summer she turned 13 and the events that transpired in her small Oklahoma town.

That was the summer of 1944, and Gretchen was thrilled to land a summer job at the local newspaper. With all the men off fighting the war, the editor was desperate enough to hire a "kid" with no experience. To disguise the fact that she was a woman, she started using "GG," which would stick for life.

But the real change begins the night that Gretchen's friend and neighbor, Barb, comes to Gretchen's window asking for help. They return to find Barb's mother, Faye, murdered in the living room. Immediately, the rumors start about Faye's dancing at the local tavern every night while her husband is off at the war. But Gretchen finds herself getting more caught up in events that will scandalize a small town and change her life forever. Is Barb right that her father, in town for leave, is innocent? Where is he hiding? And what is really happening?

This book takes a couple chapters to full get. Each chapter follows a certain pattern. It starts with a snippet of a letter the grown GG got that drew her back to her hometown. From there, we get some reflections from GG before finally delving into the heart of the chapter with Gretchen back in 1944.

Now if all this sounds confusing, don't worry. I got into the flow of the story easily and was soon hooked. Foreshadowing keeps the suspense building. I had a hard time putting it down. The tension just builds until we reach a climax as surprising as it is logical.

Just don't go into this expecting the traditional 3 suspects, 5 clues, and 10 red herrings. While there is a definite mystery, this is just as much a character study and a coming of age piece. The growth and change in Gretchen is just as important as what really happened to Faye.

Which is why I'm glad to say the characters are engrossing. Gretchen is completely real, and my heart broke for her on more then one occasion. But every character comes to life, no matter how much page time they have. And that includes Faye, who we don't meet until after she has died.

And the setting is just as vivid. Whenever I had this book opened, I was caught in the summer heat of a different time and place. That small town with its problems, prejudices, and pride came to life for me, and I was sorry to see the book end.

But these descriptions don't slow the story down in the least. Ms. Hart's excellent writing smoothly blends all the elements together for a book you won't want to put down.

Letter From Home was a great introduction to Carolyn Hart's work. I've gone on to enjoy other books she has written. But this one will always stand out in my mind for turning me on to this great author.