The Bungalow by Sarah Jio
Genre: Historical Fiction, WWII
Pages: 290 (eBook)
Source: Negalley
Author's Blog
Buy it: Amazon | Kindle | B&N | Book Depo
From Goodreads:
A sweeping World War II saga of thwarted love, murder, and a long-lost painting. In the summer of 1942, twenty-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 fiancé, 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.
My Rating: 
My Review: Anne feels a little closed in by the expectations of her parents and her pending marriage. Wanting to make a difference and really experience the world, Anne signs up for the Army Nurse Corps on the Pacific Island with her best friend Kitty, leaving her fiancee Gerald behind. Once Anne arrives in Bora-Bora she gets the experience that she wanted but doesn't count on finding love, drama, a mystery, and heartbreak.
Oh wow, this read had a little bit of something for everyone. Anne is a girl/woman before her time. She wants to work as a nurse but she knows if she marries Gerald her nursing degree will mean nothing. So she signs up. During WWII, many women were allowed to take certain jobs held by men and they obtained certain amounts of freedom because the men were gone. But Anne goes above and beyond that... I mean... she ends up in Bora-Bora. It was really refreshing to see her outside the mold even more than expected. The drama was very intriguing and though I guess certain aspects, there were many more that took me by surprise. This is a book where the characters change and grow; though, sometimes it isn't for the better. I turned every page with anticipating and found that this story really stuck out from the rest in this genre. Even when I reached the last chapter, I was still hanging on to the edge of my seat, not really knowing how everything would work out.
At the same time, I would say that this is a summer read and it isn't too intense in terms of sadness and tragedy. If you are looking for a summer read, this would be your pick.
