Barb Warner Deane

Thanks to #NetGalley and the publisher.

I enjoy reading historical books set during WW II and don't usually mind the present, into the past. This went from the 40s, to the 70s, back to the 60s, and sometimes 50s and then the 90s, in a few chapters which boggled my mind. Not only that, it only mentioned a few names n the chapters which are in the future, which makes me wonder who Maggie married and I'm thinking I know who or maybe not. The author wants it to be a surprise I guess.

I liked the book because not only was it about a canteen at a small railroad stop in a small town in Nebraska, but also the camaraderie between the soldiers passing through and the volunteers. That's how Margaret (Maggie), the town's librarian meets Tom who she's only know for 15 minutes before he ships out. She is reluctant to answer his many letters but does so and a relationship forms long distance. For 3 years too.

I knew I wasn't going to get through this book without becoming emotional especially with the hospital trains and the POW trains. One emotional scene that did it for me is when the canteen workers (all women obviously) is when the Army and Navy nurses were on a train and the women volunteered their cosmetics, jewelry, etc. to those women.… (altro)