The Letter Carrier

L.C.
Lewis
Genre: 
Inspirational

HISTORICAL YOUNG ADULT: Travel back to WWII and the German’s march across Europe as it reaches the French countryside. What would one do if they found themselves controlled by a tyrannical power and only had their loved ones and their faith to see them through? What could they do, if one by one, those beloved family members were ripped away and they were only left with a fragile faith and shaky hope in the face of constant fear? Michelle Naget, a French teen, and her family find themselves caught in a hell on earth for four years as the Nazi enemy commandeers their home as command headquarters. The Naget family motto of “We do what must be done” is sorely tested in those four challenging years as they balance living one step from death with a determined faith in God and a desperate hope the allies will help free them.

This story will stay with the reader for a long, long time! It is powerful and will take their breath away. This is Michelle’s coming of age story as she matures under the Nazi’s thumb. She tells her story in first person and she brings the reader squarely into her life. Pacing was difficult to follow sometimes as time shifted rapidly within paragraphs. Editing also failed to catch some mistakes in character names. Beyond these minor flaws, the story boasts characters who are easy to invest in emotionally. Make no mistake, though, this is not a romance, but a history based on years of interviews and letters from Michelle, her family, and survivors of the Nazi’s control of France. Prepare for a strong story of loss, faith, resiliency, pain, oppression, and so much more. Get ready for an emotional narrative that will leave you speechless!

Emerson Matthews