This book interested me because my father was also a World War II vet. Author Diane Phelps Budden shares the letters her mother Irma and father Lou exchanged while Lou was a sailor in the South Pacific. The book is filled with family photos and images of letters, telegrams, and V-mails (a system Kodak developed during the war to distribute photocopied mail via microfilm). We have all seen old black-and-white photos from this era, but within the pages of this book, Lou and Irma come alive and we begin to feel that we know them personally. The children of Hungarian immigrants, the young couple express their love and longing for each other while they are separated. Irma is a home front wife with a young daughter, pregnant with her second child (the author herself) while Lou goes through training before leaving for the South Pacific where his ship is instrumental in the battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa. Meanwhile, Irma goes through the last months of pregnancy and delivery while Lou is away. Although he's able to visit his growing family on leaves, Irma essentially becomes a single mother during those long years.

In addition to the letters, the author also includes a wide array of research such as the typical monthly budget of these young families, the selling of war bonds, immigration rates, and popular films and radio shows of the time. Lou and Irma's story truly is a microcosm of the era.

One of the most interesting parts of the book was the fact that Lou was never able to tell Irma exactly where his ship was, and there are numerous references to the fact that the military censored letters for the safety of operations. Irma proves to be a good detective, however, by reading news about the current battles being waged, watching newsreels, and examining maps. It's also surprising that although Victory over Japan happens in August, 1945, Lou does not finally make it home until December of that year. His ship spent several months conveying other military personnel back home from the Pacific theater.

This is a story of one young family's lives put on hold while the father is off to war. A great read for anyone interested in the less-told tales of wives on the home front.

This is a wonderful story of a young married couple torn apart by World War II and the effects it had on them and other women on the home front. The letters they wrote to each other told the loving story of how much they yearned for each other and the loneliness that ensued. Irma raised two children, like many home front wives. Other women went to work, like Rosie the Riviter. The story behind the letters is an inside look at the nation during wartime, and the social changes it created. I never knew the day to day issues the war created. This book is a unique blend of a personal story and the broader social challenges brought on by the war. I wanted to keep on reading when the book ended. The 75th anniversary of the end of World War II is celebrated this year on September 15th. A fitting tribute to the men and women of that era.