The Lines Between Us

 Title: The Lines Between Us

Author: Amy Lynn Green

Publisher: Bethany House

Genre: Historical Fiction, World War II, Christian Fiction

My Review:

The Lines Between Us is the second novel by Amy Lynn Green but reads as though she has been writing forever. You are immediately drawn into the story by the first few lines.

While the second novel is not an epistolary story, there are still quite a few letters dispersed throughout the novel. I enjoyed how the story alternated between letters and real-time. It added a lot of depth to the story and helps you to connect with the characters on a deeper level.

When a girl asks a fellow to write to her, is one day after leaving too soon? I bet it is.

I am not sure what to think of Dorie, I liked her at first, and then she really made me mad! So, I guess she is a character that brings out strong emotions in you! While I warmed up to her the closer the story got to the end, she was never a character that I loved. I do have to admire how she held to her convictions and how her character does grow into a better version of herself.

By which I mean...you should write again, soon and often. Start now, if you like.

Jack and Gordon have a great friendship and I appreciate Jack's leadership in the story. While he is not quite as central, especially once he is injured, he is always there...if that makes sense. Gordon also holds strong convictions that are tested quite frequently in the novel. When he learns some new information about his family, will it shatter those convictions, or make them stronger?

Our country is fighting for survival, and you wonder what Jesus would do? Of course he would want you to fight!

Gordon is forced into a leadership position once Jack is injured and then forced to work with Dorie. While he may not always agree with Dorie's methods, he refuses to lie for her or let go of his convictions. 

This is a fabulous story with a lot of depth and layers. It is based on real events from WWII, where men fought fires as conscientious objectors and women entered into the women's army corps. The story comes alive through the letters, the friendships, the strong convictions, and the courage that each character displays. There are also several mysteries to be solved. While you think you know and will figure out the way the story ends, you won't. Trust me. The ending does not tie up everything in a nice neat bow, but it leaves room for plenty of thought and speculation. I loved Amy Green's first book so I pre-ordered this book immediately. I loved this book too but not with the emotion of the first book if that makes sense? Maybe loved it differently.

Thank you to Bethany House for the opportunity to read this book. I was not required to provide a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

★★★★★/5

Synopsis (from Goodreads): 

Since the attack on Pearl Harbor, Gordon Hooper and his buddy Jack Armitage have done “work of national importance” in the West as conscientious objectors: volunteering as smokejumpers, parachuting into and fighting raging wildfires. But the number of winter blazes they’re called to in early 1945 seems suspiciously high, and when an accident leaves Jack badly injured, Gordon realizes the facts don’t add up.

A member of the Women’s Army Corps, Dorie Armitage has long been ashamed of her brother’s pacificism, but she's shocked by news of his accident. Determined to find out why he was harmed, she arrives at the national forest under the guise of conducting an army report...and finds herself forced to work with Gordon. He believes it’s wrong to lie; she’s willing to do whatever it takes so justice will be done.

As they search for clues, Gordon and Dorie must wrestle with their convictions about war and peace and decide what to do with the shocking secrets they discover.