Amy Lynn Green

I loved reading all the sarcasm and unedited edited thoughts of Johanna. It was so refreshing to get a character with a strong personality shine on the page. I also appreciated how Johanna didn't mince words; she was very blunt and honest.
I have not read a book in letters before but I'm glad I gave this one the chance. One of my concerns with reading letters is that I would not get to know the characters as well. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find that I came to know the characters to the extent that I did. I was invested in Peter and Johanna. I was really rooting for both the characters as they experienced similarities and differences while across the country teaching English. I found it super interesting to see the relations between the POWs and the citizens of the town. There was so much that made and shaped them and it was neat to see how they overcame prejudices.
Also, it was really cool that Johanna included German idioms. Many of them were ones that I had not heard before in school. I found it very fun to see if I could guess the idiom based upon the German. (I got some of them!)

Rating: 4/5
Language: n/a
Romance: basically n/a
Spiritual: Johanna struggles with believing that God listens
Violence: n/a

*I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All thoughts are my own and a positive review was not required.… (altro)

I've seen films about Bob Hope and other popular Hollywood people who joined USO tours during World War II to entertain the soldiers overseas. They usually had great accommodations and didn't get too close to the front lines of the war. The Foxhole Victory Tour is about an eclectic group of performers who join a USO tour. They often sleep on the ground or in their truck and they performed for the soldiers who were close to the front lines of the fighting and were often put into dangerous circumstances' as they worked to bring some joy into the daily strains of the war.

This tour in North Africa is made up of a rag-tag group. Maggie was a trumpet player who was never afraid to express her opinions even if it got her into trouble. Her father was a minister in the Salvation Army and she grew up in a very restrictive home. Catherine is totally opposite and grew up in a rich and sheltered family. She was quiet and only seemed to come alive when she was playing her violin. She didn't tell her parents that she was going on a USO tour until after she was gone because she knew that they would prevent her from going. There is also Gabriel, a magician who appears very secretive, Howard, a vaudeville performer and WWI vet and Judith, an older blues singer who is looking for her break in Hollywood. They started out as strangers but became friends as their troupe of performers went further into the war area and their lives were put into danger.

I really enjoyed this book. The characters were all well written and it was easy to get involved in their lives as they entertained the troops and as they got shot at by German planes. When they started their trip, they didn't really understand the danger that they would be in and the fact that by the end of the tour, they would all end up as friends. It was apparent throughout the book that the author had done extensive research on the smaller USO tour groups who put their lives on the line to entertain the soldiers.

Amy Lynn Green is a new author to me and after reading this book, I checked out her previous books. It appears that she has written several World War II books that have high ratings on Goodreads. I've already ordered one of the books on her back list.… (altro)

I’ve read a lot of World War II books, but this is the first one I’ve come across from the point of view of a USO team traveling to entertain the troops on a 1943 tour to North Africa. I liked that the story focused on the performers, and there were little actual war scenes even though the threat of attack and the resulting danger was always a possibility.

None of the five misfit performers knows each other before being recruited for this USO tour, and despite their differences – personalities, talents, interests, and backgrounds – they end up becoming friends and supporting each other. In addition to their goals of entertaining the troops and keeping military morale up, this USO tour is like an audition as they are all being considered for one coveted position with a prestigious USO group of Hollywood performers including Bob Hope.

The well-written story is told from alternating characters’ points of view, which gave me the opportunity to see the situation from various perspectives. As the characters revealed things about themselves such as their pasts, their fears, and dreams, I became sympathetic and understanding of each one’s motivation. The novel is as much about this historical period as it is about how each character deals with their personal struggles and comes to realize the important role they play in the war effort.

In addition to setting realistic scenes in Algiers and Tunisia, Amy Lynn Green focuses on the faith and fears of troops soon going into battle. I appreciated how the entertainers become perceptive and discover creative ways to support the soldiers through their performances.

This was a heartwarming story of found family, faith, and the fascinating if lesser-known history of World War II USO variety shows. I recommend this novel which focuses on the ordinary men and women performers who risked their lives and sacrificed comfort to bring respite from war with music, laughter, and entertainment.… (altro)