REVIEW: The Sergeant and the Girl Next Door by Laura Rupper
World War II may be over, but Sergeant Davis Wilson feels no peace. Burdened by the loss of his best friend, Patrick, Davis has returned to his small town determined to make sure his friend’s mother and little sister are cared for. But the fiery young woman who greets him isn’t the “little sister” he remembers.
Faith Penwilliger lost both her brother and father during the war and had to grow up fast. The last four years molded her into a strong woman who runs the family business, cares for her widowed mother, and loves going out dancing with her boyfriend, Freddy. And she doesn’t need anyone else in her life, especially not Davis—the boy she idolized until the night he enlisted and the subsequent humiliating argument she had with him that she would rather forget.
Davis is puzzled and frustrated by the new version of Faith. Even more disconcerting are the unexpected feelings he’s developing for the girl next door. As Faith plots revenge and shows Davis what it feels like to be meddled with, it doesn’t take long for the line between love and dislike to blur. Now only the truth of the past can unlock the possibility of building a future together.
Dear Ms. Rupper,
After years of World War II books being in favor, I will admit to a bit of ennuie when I see yet another cover with (usually) a heroine in period dress, a backdrop of famous buildings from London or Paris and the inevitable Spitfire planes flying overhead. That doesn’t mean I won’t read more of them but the fact that this book is set after the end of the fighting made me perk up and look into it.
The first thing that came to mind was the famous post war movie “The Best Years of Our Lives” in which three former military men return to their homes and family with all then having to figure out “What now?” Davis Wilson is the one returning to his small Ohio home town. His best friend, with whom he signed up, was killed and Davis has unsettled emotions. On the one hand, he survived but on the other he is a man changed forever by what he has seen and what he did. His family is thrilled to welcome him home but Davis will need to process being home where there is no fighting, no displaced persons, no cities and towns of rubble.
Faith Penwilliger and her mother are all who are left in their immediate family. A week after receiving the telegram about brother and son Patrick, Faith’s father died from a heart attack. Faith has had to give up her plans for college and step in to manage the family bricklaying business. It hasn’t been easy for Faith to keep the business going during the war and without a stalwart older worker staying on and a Mexican immigrant allowed to work via the Bracero Agreement, things would have been much worse. Not many men are willing to have an eighteen year old female boss.
Faith and Davis grew up together but will have a lot of issues, past and present, to untangle and figure out before they can decide what to do with their relationship.
I liked that there are some very serious things being dealt with here. Faith is torn between continuing to run her family business and her dreams of college. Her mother, and later Davis, aren’t thrilled with a young man Faith has in her life. Freddy has been Faith’s dancing partner for two years giving her a break and some fun in her life. There really isn’t much to lead anyone, including Faith, into thinking that she will marry Freddy but Faith pushes back at giving up this outlet.
Davis struggles to fit back into small town Ohio life. It isn’t that he wants more wide open spaces but rather that he has trouble sleeping, his acquired smoking habit (to calm his nerves) annoys his mother and he’s not sure what he wants to do but he’s pretty sure it isn’t to go back to college and law school. He’s also seeing Faith with different eyes than he did but their last conversation, before he and Patrick left, ended badly and he doesn’t know how to fix things.
The book coasts along as all these things play out. Usually I’m not a fan of pranks but have to admit that Faith’s response to Davis trying to tell Freddy to leave Faith alone is inspired and gets Davis to acknowledge that his interference was uncalled for. Religious faith is interwoven more in Faith’s life although Davis and his family attend church regularly. Faith has her moments of self doubt which she discusses with her pastor which then brings her in contact with an older teen struggling with the death of his older brother. Booyah that he isn’t suddenly back in the church fold. Davis and Faith talk about how the war has affected so many people and that no one will ever be able to go back to how things were. All of these issues were well handled.
The romance is very slow burn. Davis figures out quickly that his feelings have changed for Faith but he doesn’t push any feelings on her. He does make it clear that he cares deeply for her but then he lets her make up her own mind. This is contrasted to Faith’s cousin Rose who made a quickie wartime marriage that she’s come to regret. I wish this had been explored a bit more but perhaps there will be a book two. While I like that Faith and Davis are given lots of time to work out their emotions, the romance was a bit bland.
There are several very nice secondary characters and relationships I enjoyed. Faith’s mother is lovely while Davis’s mother is a bit OTT but you know she loves her family. I would have paid money to ride along with the two mothers on their rescue mission. Faith and an older brick mason have a great rapport while Davis finds himself taking advice from his younger sister about clothing. Overall I enjoyed the book but wish the romance had had a bit more oomph. B-
~Jayne
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