When Valleys Bloom Again

By Pat Jeanne Davis

Description:

As war approaches in 1939 Abby Stapleton’s safety is under threat. Her father, a British diplomat, insists she go back to America until the danger passes. Abby vows to return to her home in London—but where is home? With her family facing mortal danger so far away and feeling herself isolated, she finds it hard to pray or read the Bible. Did she leave God behind in war-torn London too? Abby becomes friendly with Jim, a gardener on her uncle’s estate.

Jim can’t get Abby out of his mind. Did she have a sweetheart in England? Was it foolish to think she’d consider him? He curses his poverty and the disgrace of his father’s desertion and drunkenness haunts him. Can he learn to believe in love for a lifetime and to hope for a happy marriage?

Abby couldn’t know the war would last a long time, nor that she would fall in love with Jim—soon to be drafted by the U.S. Army—or that she’d have to confront Henri, a rejected suitor, determined by his lies to ruin her reputation and destroy her faith in God’s providence. Will she discover the true meaning of home and find happiness with Jim?

Book Takeaway:

That with faith in Christ and submission to God's will, we can be hopeful and steadfast in purpose during times of external and internal conflict.

Why the author wrote this book:

There is continued interest in the World War II era evidenced by numerous current books and films. As the ranks of those who lived through this period get smaller, I wanted to highlight their lives in an instructive and entertaining way. Some of their experiences inform the context of this inspirational novel. Military and history buffs alike will appreciate the references to battles and hardships faced by soldiers. When Valleys Bloom Again unfolds through the eyes of Abby Stapleton with the flavor and sensibilities of the 1940’s home front—from an estate in Pennsylvania with its numerous landscaped gardens, to the bombed-out inner-city and suburbs of London.