Blue Skies Tomorrow Page 36
Ray’s throat felt thick. He’d given up his dream of wife and children and ministry, and now the fullness of that dream spread before him, richer and more vibrant since it was lost and then restored.
“Darling!” Her face lit up. “There you are.”
Could his smile get any bigger, any goofier? Probably not. “Brought you some punch.”
Punch dribbled down the armrest, and Helen sprang to her feet. “Oops! Where’s your handkerchief?”
“My fault. Distracted by my bride.” He set the cups on Dad’s desk, pulled out his handkerchief, and wiped up the spill. “Why not use your hankie?”
“Never.” She clapped her hand over her breast pocket, which contained the square of parachute cloth Ray had hoped to use as a white flag, now hemmed and embroidered with their initials and wedding date.
Ray sat in the armchair and pulled Helen down to his lap. “Special?”
“Very.” She stroked the gold “Caterpillar Club” pin on his service jacket for “hitting the silk” in combat.
She gazed down at him with such dreamy eyes he wanted to kiss the breath out of her and haul her upstairs.
Mrs. Jamison stood. “Come along, Henry. Let’s give the newlyweds some privacy.”
Dr. Jamison took Helen’s hand and glared at Ray. “Treat her well,” he said with a growl.
“I’ll love her with my life, sir.”
His face relaxed. “I know you will, son.” Then he entrusted his daughter’s hand to Ray, her heart and her life.
Helen’s strength showed in the set of her chin, Ray’s to enjoy, and her vulnerability showed in her glistening eyes, Ray’s to protect.
He brought her hand to his heart. “With all my life.”
Acknowledgments
The more I write, the more I realize a novel is a group project. For some reason, mine is the name on the cover, but many others belong there as well.
My husband, Dave, keeps the business side of the household running, and his love inspires me to keep writing. Our children, Stephen, Anna, and Matthew, have adapted to the oddity of having an author in the house—leftovers, late school pickups, and friends’ mothers asking for autographs—how embarrassing! Love you guys.
Special thanks go to my parents, Ronald and Nancy Stewart, and to my sister, Martha Groeber, for a lifetime of encouragement and love. And writing this novel made me appreciate all the more my wonderful, godly in-laws, Carl and Diane Sundin.
For growth in writing, I’m indebted to the faculty of Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference, and the membership of American Christian Fiction Writers, Christian Authors Network, and Diablo Valley Christian Writers Group (Kathleen Casey, Ron Clelland, Carol Green, Cynthia Herrmann, Rebekah and Ruth Kronk, Susan Lawson, Marilynn Lindahl, Georgia Sue Massie, Paula Nunley, Evelyn Sanders, and Linda Wright). My deepest thanks to my stellar critique partners—Judy Gann, Bonnie Leon, Marci Seither, Ann Shorey, and Marcy Weydemuller. And special thanks to Marcy, my sounding board with full slap-me-upside-the-head privileges.
I am deeply grateful for help in research. The staff of the Antioch Public Library has helped with research questions and has patiently explained—more than once—how to use the microfiche machine to read the Antioch Ledger. Many thanks to Rick Acker and Nicklas Akers for help with the military legal system. Any errors are mine alone. And I apologize for maligning your noble profession. Special thanks to Sam Allen for lending his military aviation expertise and skilled eye for reviewing this manuscript. I also want to recognize the Collings Foundation and the Experimental Aircraft Association. Without the opportunity to walk through their restored B-17s, my stories would have been poorer.
El Campanil Theatre is featured on this book cover. You can learn about the theater’s restoration and programs at www.elcampaniltheatre.com.
Prayer—my oxygen tubing. Thank you to my friends from church and small group for holding me up.
It still gives me a thrill to use the phrases “my agent” and “my editor,” and I couldn’t have asked for better ones. Rachel Kent at Books & Such Literary Agency guides me in writing and career development, and I’ll always be grateful to Vicki Crumpton at Revell for taking a chance on an unknown writer and for her insightful editing. The team at Revell makes the publication process a joy. Thanks to the wonderful people in editorial, marketing, publicity, cover art, and sales for supporting a debut author so well.
Highest thanks go to the Lord, who teaches me to push back fear and to forge ahead in his strength. May you also find courage in his presence.
Thank you, dear reader, for joining me and the Novak brothers on this journey. Please visit my website at www.sarahsundin.com to leave a message, sign up for my quarterly newsletter, see a diagram of a B-17, or read tips for book clubs. I’d love to hear from you!
Discussion Questions
Helen says she “performs grief.” Why does she do it? What would you do in a similar situation? How does her true grief contrast with her performed grief?
Ray is a natural peacemaker. How is this good? Any negatives?
Helen and Jay-Jay have an evening routine of dancing to the radio. Any sweet parent-child rituals in your family?
As a noncombatant during wartime, Ray feels people look down on him. Why do you think he feels this way? Do you agree with his decision after the fire?
Jay-Jay, like many children his age, has a temper. How does Helen deal with his tantrums at the beginning? At the end? Have you known the joy of raising a tantrum-throwing child?
Helen’s “heart’s work” is leadership and volunteering, and Ray’s is ministry. How do you see this? Do you have an area where your talents and gifts combine into something useful and enjoyable?
Circumstances keep both Ray and Helen from their “heart’s work” during the story. How does Ray handle it? How about Helen? Have you ever been kept from something you enjoy, and how did you handle it?
Discuss Jim and Helen’s marriage. What clues did you see? How did Helen’s childhood experiences as a polio patient and as a ballet pupil set her up for this relationship?
At the Sacramento Air Depot, Ray feels he hinders the war effort. How is he not suited for this job? Have you ever had a position you weren’t suited for? What did you do?
Victor Llewellyn just can’t take no for an answer. Do you think this stems from arrogance or from insecurity? Why do you think he made his decision about the appeal?
During World War II, many women were single mothers due to widowhood or their husband’s deployment, and 19 million women took jobs outside the home. These women faced many modern issues. How do you see this in Helen’s life?
How do Ray’s past experiences with women affect his relationship with Helen? Do you think he moved too fast? Why? What was the result?
Helen deals with rationing and shortages on the home front. Do you have any personal or family experiences of World War II home front life? How would you have handled these difficulties?
Ray flies his combat tour at the peak of strength for the U.S. Eighth Air Force. Still, conditions were difficult due to German fighters, flak, extreme cold, collisions, and crashes. How does Ray cope? How about his crewmates? How would you cope?
Do you think Helen volunteers because of her personality and gifts? Patriotism? Dealing with pain? Pleasing people? Pleasing God? Some combination?
By the end of the story, Ray is able to do things he couldn’t do before. Do you think he was always capable, or did his experiences change him fundamentally?
How would you describe the relationship between Helen and Betty? Between Ray and his brothers? Between Jim and Dorothy? How did their early roles affect them as adults? Do their relationships change during the story? If so, how?
The Port Chicago Explosion was the largest home front disaster of the war, and the aftermath of the mutiny trial eventually led to the desegregation of the U.S. armed forces. While Carver is fictional, two men with medical excuses were convicted. What examples of racism and segregation do you see
in the story? Were you surprised?
Ray is frustrated when Major Siegel doesn’t believe his testimony. How does he deal with this? Have you been in a situation where people didn’t believe you?
If you read A Distant Melody or A Memory Between Us, did you enjoy the updates on Walt and Allie and on Jack and Ruth?
Sarah Sundin is the author of A Distant Melody and A Memory Between Us. She lives in northern California with her husband, three children, a cat, and a yellow lab prone to eating pens and manuscripts. She works on-call as a hospital pharmacist and teaches Sunday school and women’s Bible studies. Her great-uncle flew with the U.S. Eighth Air Force in England. Please visit her online at www.sarahsundin.com, www.facebook.com/SarahSundinAuthor, or www.twitter.com/sarahsundin.
Books by Sarah Sundin
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WINGS OF GLORY SERIES
A Distant Melody
A Memory Between Us
Blue Skies Tomorrow
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Table of Contents
Cover
Title Page
Copyright Page
Endorsements
Dedication
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2
3
4
5
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Acknowledgments
Discussion Questions
About the Author
Other Books by Author
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