A few months ago I posted a review of A Memory Between Us, the second book in the Wings of Glory series by Sarah Sundin. It is with amazement that I now look back and realize that I never posted a review for the first book of the series, A Distant Melody. Sundin has recently become one of my absolute favorite authors, and this was the book that started it all; it was both her first novel and the first of her books that I read.

I picked this book up on a whim at the library, and it was one of the best choices I have made regarding a book!  The story is sweet, the characters are inviting, the setting is well crafted; it all adds up to a wonderful book. Sundin does a thorough job on every part of this, from the historical research to the development of the characters. I’m almost at a loss for words to describe how good this book truly is.

Allie, the well-off young woman whom the story is centered around, meets Walter Novak at a mutual friend’s wedding. Although they fall in love almost instantly, they both have way too many other things going on in their lives to acknowledge it. Throughout the next months they regularly write one another letters, while Walt is shipped out to fight in World War Two. Their relationship develops somewhat comically due to multiple misunderstandings and random occurrences, and both grow as individuals as well. Allie must learn to stand up for herself and for what is right, and Walt must find the strength to be himself and to be honest with those around him.

Additionally, I enjoyed the fact that the characters are Christian, and this obviously affects the way they think and what they do, but this is not obnoxiously drilled into the reader’s mind on every single page. The characters strive to do what is right in God’s eyes, and sometimes they mess up. This story includes a well-written example of repentance and confession, without making anything seem cliche.

A Distant Melody deserves a rare 5/5 stars. I highly recommend the entire series, of which I am currently reading the last book.

This guest review was contributed by Leggings Are Never Pants. Her opinions on nonbook-related subjects are usually not the most common, yet she does her best to make her reviews fair and still reflect her personal style/preferences.