The Line Between Us By Amy Lynn Green Book Review

 

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 the 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 Thoughts:

 

Two friends meet in college and become fast friends. Jack takes Gordon home for the holidays. Gordon and Dorie, Jack’s sister hit it off and start exchanging letters. Then Pearl Harbor happens and Dorie finds out that Gordon is a Quaker and a Conscientious Objector. He doesn’t believe in fighting or killing another person. Dorie is furious and thinks every able man should defend their country. Then to make matters worst her brother shares the same views. She signs up for the Women’s Army Corps and the guys end up as smokejumpers out west to serve their county in another way. It puts a strain on Jacks's relationship with his family, especially with Dorie.

 

Tragedy happens and Jack ends up dying during a fire during the winter. There has been a lot of unusual fires, especially during the winter months. Dorie ends up out west under false pretense to investigate why her brother died. Can she get the information she needs from Gordon and a group of men who are pacifists? Jack’s death ends up being suspicious.

 

The chapters jump back and forth between Dorie and Gordon. Dorie is a strong personality and a spitfire. At first, I didn’t like her when she was at the army base or when she showed up in the camp in Oregon. You see growth in her and a change in her heart. Gordon is very realistic and has a lot of inner conflict with himself.  The other characters are intriguing as they struggle with each other with their convictions about war, family issues, and inner struggles. I really liked Lieuntenat Leland’s character.

 

The book is a fictional story, that is based on a true story of events during WWII. It was interesting learning about the smoke-jumpers and the cause of the fires in the region. I liked the Triple Nickels Division's involvement in the story. I enjoyed learning about them and their conflicts during the war. I’ve read about the ballons that Japan sent over the Pacific but I guess I didn’t grasp the full extent of them until reading this book.

 

An enjoyable book. It was a bit slow at times unraveling the mysteries but the end of the story was satisfying.

 

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product through Bethany House Publishers in exchange for my honest thoughts.