Destiny by Don Brown

About the book:

Three men, three armies, one letter.

When WW II hits Walter brewer's family in the worst possible way, he is torn between his love for his wife, his family, and his country. A rural postal carrier in his hometown in North Carolina, Walter has no idea his life is about to become entwined with a Nazi officer and a Royal Naval commando. Will he survive his mission over France as a paratrooper in the 101^st Airborne, or is the ultimate sacrifice Walter's destiny?

My review:

This is a prequel to Brown's Navy Justice series. Brown had actually written this novel two years before the one that introduced Zack Brewer, the young Navy JAG officer. In this prequel, we learn about Zack's grandfather,Walter Brewer. Walter faced the challenge of WW II participating in the battle on June 6, 1944 in Normandy, France.

I have read several of Brown's novels. They are usually full of intense military action. This one is a little different. Rather than lots of military action, this novel deals with the lives of three men whose destinies intersect. Brown has done a great job of revealing the background and character of the men as the story line alternates between them. We become aware of the atmosphere around each that causes them to become part of the military. We also read about what the families endured as men left for war.

Brown has done a good job developing the characters of the three men. We experience the pressure put on the German factory worker to be a part of the retaliation against the Jews, acts that haunt him. We see the influence a successful British military father has on his son, a young man who just wants his father's approval. And we share the struggles of the American who, after the death of his brother at Pearl Harbor, received his own draft notice. Brown has put love and life into the men who would eventually aim weapons at each other.

The most touching part of the novel for me was the spiritual aspect. The British commando was a committed Christian who carried into battle the gospel in German. That changed the destiny of the Nazi who took the gospel and the American who later encountered him in battle. It reminded me again of the grace of God and His providence in the affairs of men.

Readers of Brown's Navy Justice will enjoy this prequel. Those who like WW II novels will like it too. I liked it because it is a stirring novel of love, war, God's grace, forgiveness and reconciliation.

Don Brown graduated from the University of North Carolina, then law school. He continued his studies through the Naval War College during his five years on active duty , serving as a JAG Officer. You can find out more at http://donbrownbooks.com.

Mountainviews Books, 462 pages.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this book through The Book Club Network for the purpose of an independent and honest review.