The Sky Above Us by Sarah Sundin

The Sky Above Us (Sunrise at Normandy, #2)

by Sarah Sundin

2020 Carol Award Winner

***

Numbed by grief and harboring shameful secrets, Lt. Adler Paxton ships to England with the US 357th Fighter Group in 1943. Determined to become an ace pilot, Adler battles the German Luftwaffe in treacherous dogfights in the skies over France as the Allies struggle for control of the air before the D-day invasion.

Violet Lindstrom wanted to be a missionary, but for now she serves in the American Red Cross, where she arranges entertainment for the men of the 357th in the Aeroclub on base and sets up programs for local children. Drawn to the mysterious Adler, she enlists his help with her work and urges him to reconnect with his family after a long estrangement.

Despite himself, Adler finds his defenses crumbling when it comes to Violet. But D-day draws near. And secrets can't stay buried forever.

Bestselling author Sarah Sundin returns readers to the shores of Normandy, this time in the air, as the second Paxton brother prepares to face the past--and the most fearsome battle of his life.

Reviewed by phyllish on

5 of 5 stars

Share
Dogfights, deception, and dreams

Oh my! I loved this book. Not that I'm surprised. I've already read a couple of other books by this author and loved those as well.

Adler was, on the outside, your stereotypical, cocky pilot seeking glory by becoming an ace in the war. He was brimming with arrogance. Yet as we learn of his story in The Sea Before Us, we discover that he was dealing with a horrendous amount of guilt over multiple events from that day he was forced to leave his home. While his actions had been repulsive, his sincere regret over them showed that he was already changed by them. Yet his pride (once again!) almost caused another tragedy. . .

I was so drawn to this Texas cowboy/pilot. Despite his shameful past, he had a heart of gold and was so protective and noble. He was so determined to not make the same mistakes again. . .

Violet was a fascinating character. When she was cast into a situation that was so different from what she had expected, she made the best of what she could, and in such creative ways. Yet she also had some serious heart matters that needed to be dealt with. In addition to them, she had a mystery to solve - if she didn't, she would be sent home in shame and her dreams would have been destroyed.

I really enjoyed reading about the events leading to D-Day from the air force and Red Cross' perspectives. If you have been to the author's website or her Twitter feed, you know that she immerses herself in WWII history and does copious research for her books. And it shows. The details she includes are amazing and yet not overwhelming.

I can't wait for Chad's story! He will obviously have a lot of baggage to deal with because he was the brother who was the most abused in the rift that occurred - he hadn't done anything wrong and yet both of his brothers betrayed him in a big way. I have a feeling that he is going to be my favorite Paxton brother.

Write quickly, Sarah Sundin! Write quickly!


Read my full review with a Preview at Among the Reads


I was given a copy of this book. I was not required to give a favorable review nor was any money received for this review. All comments and opinions are my own.

Last modified on

Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • Finished reading
  • 14 November, 2018: Reviewed