Review of Wings of a Dream

Wings of a Dream by Anne Mateer is the story of a woman who finds true love even in the midst of chaos and pain. Rebekah Hendricks is on her way to her dream. She has a handsome suitor, Arthur,who is an aviator who promises a life of adventure far away from her life in Oklahoma when they get married. However, war calls, and Arthur is sent to prepare to fly. Rebekah soon gets word that her aunt is very ill, so she reluctantly goes to help as it helps her be nearer to Arthur and her dream of a glamorous, adventurous life.

Her world is soon shaken with surprises and the terror of the Spanish flu. As the epidemic ravages the population of her aunt's town, Rebekah is forced to grow up and take care of four motherless children. She soon discovers the truth and a love that may be the wings of a dream she never would have imagined.

The threads of history and fiction were beautifully balanced in this book. I enjoyed how the aspects of history affected Rebekah in direct and indirect ways. The characters are distinct and bold, and I loved the idea that the heroine gets to choose who she marries. The children were an interesting aspect to the story. Their presence and need of Rebekah caused her to really mature in the story, and I appreciated that. The raw emotion of loss, confusion, and bravery is clearly and beautifully portrayed, yet the romance was slow-moving. It was nice to see a progression of true love instead of a WHAM, it's attraction! sort of thing.

I am so happy to say this book was clean. My only tiny disappointment was that the book seemed to end really quickly.

All in all, I rate this book four out of five stars. Well done!

Specifics (from amazon.com) :
~Paperback: 319 pages
~Publisher: Bethany House (September 1, 2011)

Note: Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a free copy of this book for reviewing purposes.

Blessings,