McMorris Brings Home a Hit With LETTERS FROM HOME

Set during World War II, from Chicago to the battles waging in Europe, from a USO club to a military field hospital, Kristina McMorris has created a moving story in LETTERS FROM HOME. This narrative was inspired by the true love story of her own grandparents' romance and how their correspondence during the war resulted in their eventual loving union. Revolving around three female characters, LETTERS FROM HOME will grab you from the first page and not let you go until you have finished by looking at the wonderful "war time" recipes McMorris has included in the back of the book.Liz Stephens, Betty Cordell, and Julia Renard were roommates in Chicago back in 1944. Each with a different goal in mind, the story follows these women as their lives entwine and they strive to reach those goals. Along the way, they find that no matter what they planned, life happens and some of their journeys end in a much different place than originally intended. Liz starts out fully expecting to marry
Dalton Harris, a friend since they were children who is now a young, local politician. Betty is set on marrying a man of means, unlike her mother, while Julia's dream is heading in the right direction now with a chance to intern for a very famous fashion design team. However, Julia is also engaged to Christian Downing, who is already overseas and while she waits for his return, knowing decisions will need to be made, his brother Ian returns from war, a changed man. Julia feels sorry for him but before she realizes it, those feelings begin to change to something more intense.Enter the rest of the male characters with Morgan McClain, who with his brother Charlie, is enjoying a last hurrah at the Chicago USO Club before shipping out. Although Morgan would have been quite happy to continue his life at home, he thought it best he sign up to watch over his brother Charlie as he had done for most of his life given that Charlie could be rather impetuous. When Morgan and Liz meet a
t the USO, there is immediate chemistry, but when Morgan, always the good guy, goes to help Betty, Liz leaves thinking she had probably imagined it. What could she be thinking anyway when she is destined to be with Dalton?One thing leads to another and Betty begins to write to Morgan overseas but feels she is inadequate in her writing skills and asks Liz for help. With Betty's persuasive personality, Liz agrees and soon Morgan and Liz are writing meaningful, deep letters with Morgan picturing Betty while it is Liz he is really falling for. Betty makes a sudden patriotic, but possibly dangerous decision to join the Woman's Army Corp and in doing so, finds a real romance of her own.As LETTERS FROM HOME goes on, switching from battle fields to the home front, from the men to the women, McMorris writes with a personal touch that really keeps the reader "in the moment" and waiting to see which direction each character will go next. When the war ends, each of the women now has to
come to terms with decisions they have made. What will happen when the men come home? Will Julia follow her dream or continue along the path she has started on? Will Liz be married safely to her childhood friend or take a chance on someone she thinks she has feelings for as a result of those letters? What will become of Betty and who will she finally wind up with, if any? And what IF all the men don't come home? The ending stayed with me as it is one that left me thinking about each character and the choices they made for quite a while. Was I surprised, you might ask? I will say this, war can change people and sometimes we have to ask if we really knew that person to begin with. The fact that Kristina McMorris has written with such depth and emotion, reflected in her characters, the ending, and the story overall. I think you will only know what I mean by reading LETTERS FROM HOME by Kristina McMorris and make your own judgment.

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