Synopsis:
Based on authentic letters from the era, My Darling Dorothy is a timeless love story that transcends both hard times and the brutal impact of war. The tumult of the Great Depression and World War II provides the background for a novel about three young people; Tommie, Jack and Dorothy and their challenges, struggles, defeats, and triumphs.
Tommie struggles to survive the Bataan Death March in the fall of 1941, clinging to his dream of a gratifying future with Dorothy as his bride. On the front-lines, of the European Theatre, Jack experiences the horrors of endless battle. Dorothy, caught between the two, works to maintain her dream of a life beyond small-town Nebraska. The hopes and hardships they share are reflected in the letters that they exchange. Are they remnants of lost dreams, or the foundation for a joyful future?
Rating: 5 stars
Review:
My Darling Dorothy by Jo Virden is a fascinating fictional journey. One that takes readers back and forth during WWII and to the present moment. A young woman finds letters within odd things her parents have collected over the years. Something in her gut says there has to be something special hidden in the junk stuff…and her instincts paid off. She finds old letters. A man named Tommie wrote to her mother…why? And what happened to him? The historical novel explores the past lives of Tommie who fell in love with Dorothy. Then there’s another man who has captured Dorothy’s attention. The handsome devilish guy named Jack. Dorothy writes back and forth to both men. The tale takes us through the hardships each young person struggled and lived through during their lives. Intriguing, highly entertaining, and well-written. There is an emotional toll that kept on tugging on my heart as the scenes flew by me. A fast-paced story that somehow wraps itself around me, causing me to fall deeper into the characters’ lives. Beautifully told. My Darling Dorothy is about love, adventure, loss, and war. This was my first novel that I have read by Jo Virden. She has created a masterfully woven tale that I won’t ever forget. Memorable. Satisfying. Overall, I highly recommend it to readers everywhere.
Urban Book Reviews 