Remembering You by Tricia Goyer
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Ava's life is falling apart. Her career is crumbling, her engagement broken with no contact with the former groom when her mother breaks her leg and can't accompany her aged grandfather to a WWII reunion in Austria. Her grandfather was part of the company that opened the gates to the concentration camp of Mauthausen. Hesitant at first, Ava pitches an idea to her boss and turns it into a segment on the morning show. It might revive her career. On top of that, just as Ava is leaving to her grandfather's house, Jay, her former fiance sends a cryptic text.
Ava and Grandpa Jack meet up with the veterans in Paris where they quickly discover their tour guide is hospitalized. They are on their own. Grandpa Jack is anxious to reach Belgium and Grand Paul, Jack's best friend who shares secrets with him, is anxious for some closure. Some of that closure is that his own grandson, Dennis, still carries a flame for Ava, after 15 years.
The strongest point about the book was the subject matter. World War II was an ugly war. Not that any war is pretty but it was still fought mostly on the ground and the infantry suffered huge loses. The Battle of the Bulge was long and cold. War also puts soldiers in difficult situations that strain their ethical and moral compasses. There are ghosts hiding in Grandpa Jack's closet and he may need to face them. He did things he still regrets. Only Grand Paul knows what those are.
The weakest point of the book was the romance and progression of relationships. With much, MUCH tension, the reader is reminded over and over again that Ava and Dennis ended their summer romance at the age of 18 due to Ava saying stupid things and a big fight. Dennis is moody and unpredictable. Ava and her grandfather seem to be strained because of words they exchanged some time ago. It seems that the arguments of both of these conflicts take forever to be revealed and then they are anti-climactic. The story seemed like a weak filler for the real story which was the experiences these men survived then carried with them for most of their lifetime. At the end of the book, the author provides background information of how she came up with the story which was completely fascinating. I would have been happy just with that.
*This book was provided by author or publisher in exchange for an honest review.