AUTHOR: Amy Lynn Green
DATE: 2021
PUBLISHER: Bethany House
STARS: *****
From the back cover:
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.
My review:
When offered this book to read and review, I hesitated. War stories are not my favorite, but then I saw that it was about two conscientious objectors who become smoke jumpers in Oregon. Okay, that’s one of my favorite states, and smoke jumping sounded exciting without being too traumatizing.
As it turned out, this story will haunt me for some time. I’d thought conscientious objectors were pacifist heroes, bravely choosing to work at anything that didn’t involve harming another. The Lines Between Us showed the depth of anger, hurt and relational chasms suffered when one decided to become a CO. Shunned by co-workers and even family, these men lived with a shadow of scorn and distrust.
Gordon, a Quaker from birth, holds fast to his beliefs, until his friend Jack is injured. Enter Dorie, Jack’s sister and the woman Gordon fell in love with BW (before the war). Dorie joined the WACs, and her outrageous behavior adds a touch of humor to this deep story.
As Gordon and Dorie work together to discover the truth behind Jack’s accident, all their long-held beliefs are challenged.
Mine were, too, since I tend more toward pacifism. In war, what is truth? What is right? Yes, I will think about the issues raised by this well-told story for a very long time. The Lines Between Us impacted me greatly and earns five stars. Recommended. I was given a copy of the book by Graf-Martin Communications and Baker Publishing Group. All opinions are my own.