Defiant Hearts Review

Publisher: Penfield Press (April 15, 2013)

Category: Historical Fiction, WWII, General Fiction, Literary Fiction, Love Story

Tour Dates: April-Mid May, 2013

Available in: eBook, 385

Set against the backdrop of small town America on the eve of World War II, Defiant Heart features two extraordinary characters and one unforgettable love story.

In the spring of 1941, young Jon Meyer's family dies in a tragic accident, and he is sent to live in a small Indiana town.  He arrives to find himself unwanted and shunned.

Mary Dahlgren is the daughter of the town's mayor.  A pretty girl, she could have the pick of the boys in town, including Vernon King, the star of the vaunted high school basketball team.  To the chagrin of her friends, though, Mary has always been more interested in books than boys.  That is, until she meets Jon.

But Jon and Mary are kept apart by an insidious campaign orchestrated by Mary's father, who perceives their relationship a threat to his political aspirations, and Vernon, to whom Jon is a rival for Mary's affections.  For months Jon is subjected to a painful ostracism.  Then, just when the young man's earnestness and perseverance begin to win over many of the townsfolk and it appears that love may conquer all, tragedy strikes.

As the country is caught up in war, so too are the young lovers swept up in events beyond their control, leaving both fighting for their very lives.  If, against the odds, they are to be together, each will need to find the strength, the courage and the resourcefulness that beat only in a defiant heart.

Defiant Heart

This book begins when Jonathon Meyer's entire family is tragically killed in a car accident and he is sent to live with his grandmother. His grandmother isn't the loving doting type, no she begins by informing Jon that he will call her Ma'am.  That for me just yanked at my heart strings.  Here we have a young boy who just lost his entire family and his only family greets him with that! I wanted to smack that grandmother with a two by four!

Do things get any better for Jon?  Well that is an interesting question and one which I sadly cannot answer since to do so would be to give away the book.  So you will just have to rush out and buy yourself a copy to find out what happens to this poor child.

Character creation is fabulous and you are sucked into not only Jon's life but also the lives of the other characters.  Mary was one such character, she pulled you in and twisted you all upside down.  I love books in which the characters grow and change during the story and this one did not disappoint, these characters evolved into living beings for me.

I can honestly say that while it reads a little slow at times, I truly enjoyed this book. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a little something different to read and enjoys a story set in the 1940's.

Details/Disclaimer: Review copy was provided to me in exchange for a fair and honest review. The free book held no determination on my personal review.