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Tuesday, November 29, 2011

'The Bungalow' by Sarah Jio

About the book: A sweeping saga of thwarted love, murder, and a long-lost painting....In the summer of 1942, twenyt-one-year-old Anne Calloway, newly engaged, sets off to serve in the Army Nurse Corps on the Pacific island of Bora-Bora. More exhilarated by the adventure of a lifetime than she ever was by her predictable fiance, she is drawn to a mysterious soldier named Westry, and their friendship soon blossoms into hues as deep as the hibiscus flowers native to the island. Under the thatched roof of an abandoned beach bungalow, the two share a private world-until they witness a gruesome crime. Westry is suddenly redeployed, and the idyll vanishes into the winds of war. A timeless story of enduring passion, The Bungalow chronicles Anne's determination to discover the truth about the twin losses- of life and of love- that have haunted her for seventy years.
First thoughts after finishing this book: "Wow, she did it again! I loved these people and their story!"

Sarah Jio is a very talented and gifted author. All too often the sophomore debut of an author can be a letdown and not show as much promise as the dazzling debut novel. That is NOT the case here, folks. Sarah wrote another home run read for me and my experience was once again off the charts. She has the gift for writing characters that absolutely ring authentic and touched me on a human level. I loved getting to read about the nurses' side of World War II. Too often books are all about the wars and the men who fought them, but this novel gives the reader a glimpse into what may have inspired a young woman to sign up for nursing duty out in the Pacific Ocean. I loved her complex characters that at first glance may seem come across as very simplistic, but if you peel away that outer glossy coat, the reader was able to see into their hearts.

Recommend? Absolutely, with no hesitation. I couldn't put this story down and finished it over the course of two days.  I'm a sucker for a book that starts off with someone finding a long lost letter....you just never know where it will take you!

 This book would be an excellent Christmas gift for someone who loves historical fiction  that encompasses WWII and the present day.

Author: Sarah Jio
Source: review copy from Penguin/Plume via NetGalley
Genre: Historical Fiction
Pages: 320
Published:  December 27, 2011
ISBN:9781101565674
*Uncorrected ARC


Disclaimer:Thank you to Sarah Jio, Penguin/Plume and NetGalley for sending me a review copy. I was not compensated for my review. My thoughts on this book were in no way influenced by the author or publicist.They are my personal reflections based solely on MYexperience while reading this novel.

© 2011, Staci of Life in the Thumb. All Rights Reserved. If you reading this on a site other than, Life in the Thumb or Staci's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

22 comments:

  1. Wonderful -- will add it to my list!

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  2. Oh, I do like the sound of this. It is a new title for me, but i do recall drooling over the cover when you first told us you received it...LOL

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  3. I may have to get this for my mother. She's an RN and thought of enlisting during WWII. I'm glad to see Jio didn't suffer from sophomore slump!

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  4. I read the "about this book" section in the yellow and my reaction was "wow" and then I started your review and your first world was "wow"! Sounds like I need to look into this one!!!

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  5. Oh this one looks wonderful. Fantastic review!

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  6. Sounds like an exciting mystery as well as a good story.

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  7. Wowwwwwwwwwwww! This sounds really good! :):):):):):):):):):):)

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  8. Another lost letter? I'm totally in!

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  9. I liked your First Chapter quote of this book and now I see it's good all the way. It's on my list.

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  10. Holy moly - this one sounds fantastic!!! High praise from you means a lot. Glad you enjoyed it so much.

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  11. Ah, now that I see the WWII angle here...I know exactly who should be receiving this one!

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  12. I love when a letter plays a role in a story. I hope Santa is nice and puts this under my tree!

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  13. You had me at "someone who loves historical fiction that encompasses WWII and the present day". That's me and my oldest daughter. On the Christmas list it goes. Thanks for a fantastic review!

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  14. So, a perfect gift for me!! :o)
    Great review.

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  15. I can see that Serena and I was thinking about the same person for this book :)

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  16. You only had to mention Bora Bora and I was sold but seriously, your review did the rest. Hope I find this one under the christmas tree lol

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  17. I haven't read much historical fiction this year but this sounds like a book that I would enjoy. I'll have to add it to my Goodreads TBR list...thanks for the recommendation!

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  18. I am plannin gto read this one shortly! I have really high hopes for it!

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  19. I am happy to hear that you loved this one, Staci, as I preordered it once I found out about it.

    I thoroughly enjoyed her first book and this one sounds fabulous, too. Thanks for sharing.

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  20. I just posted my review of this one today. I really like Jio's style of writing. Can't wait for book #3, Blackberry Winter.

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  21. I've wondered about this one. I guess I'll have to pick it up one of these days.

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  22. First off you know I'm all over that cover. I think I see us relaxing on the beach right there.
    Glad Jio's second novel was not a let down.

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