The Lines Between Us

Another excellent work of historical fiction from Green. Set during WWII, like her first one, this isn't an epistolary novel (though some letters are included), but it does explore complex topics while managing to be fast-paced and entertaining and, ultimately, uplifting.

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. What happens when you are 100% patriotic, yet can’t bring yourself to fight? That is exactly the dilemma faced by Gordon Hooper and his best friend, Jack Armitage. America is at war and unlike most of their peers, neither can justify killing, even if it’s killing an enemy. Gordon grew up in a Quaker household and is totally committed to the Quaker ideal of nonviolence. Jack concurs, but faces disapproval from his family, especially his sister, Dorie. Gordon and Jack go west to Oregon where they join other conscientious objectors and work as “smokejumpers,” trained to parachute into remote areas to fight wildfires, a job which is considered one of the most dangerous in the world.
Early in 1945 while on tower watch Jack is seriously injured in a wildfire, a wildfire he failed to call in to summon the other volunteers. Gordon realizes the facts don’t add up and sets out to discover the truth. Jack’s sister, Dorie, has been ashamed of Jack’s CO status, but when she learns of the accident, shows up at firefighting headquarters under the guise of conducting an accident report for the Army. She and Gordon must wrestle with their own convictions about war and peace as they work to uncover the secrets of what happened to Jack.
While the characters and specific incident are fictional, the preponderance of mysterious wildfires in the Pacific Northwest at the time is based on fact and addresses a dilemma that is still relevant today in our “need to know” culture. Do we really need to know everything when it comes to matters of war or national security? Or are some things best left secret?

I was completely blown away by Amy Lynn Green's debut novel last year. I mean blown. away. So I had incredibly high hopes for her sophomore release and wow, she didn't disappoint. She's written some of the most personality-packed characters I've read in a long time. Dorie is witty and winsome and perfectly imperfect. Jack is wonderfully thoughtful and complex (and he's a peace-loving smokejumper, so it's like he can't help but be swoony, to boot).

This story both charmed and intrigued me, moving at a great pace and hooking my attention with each page...but probably the thing I loved most was the questions it asked and they way the story didn't necessarily provide tidy answers, but instead tugged me into a place of thoughtfulness. Don't get me wrong—it's a fantastic story that completely captivated me! So I definitely don't mean to make it sound like it's overly philosophical or something. But I just so appreciate stories that challenge us to ponder and reconsider and I loved watching both Dorie and Jack confront their own beliefs and consider the perspectives of others.

There's one other way this story completely surprised me...at first I thought it was going in a particular direction and then...it didn't. I won't say more than that because I don't want to give anything away. But I loved being surprised in that way!

Such a compelling and intriguing book...I can't wait to see what Amy writes next!

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC of The Lines Between Us!

I absolutely loved this book! It gave a very unique perspective on WWII, one which is not often talked about or written about, especially in fiction. The story centers on Gordon Hooper, a conscientious objector, who becomes a smokejumper, fighting fires in the Western United States instead of joining the military to fight overseas. Gordon has chosen this path along with his friend Jack, whose family is vehemently against his stance not to fight in the war. The other main character is Jack's sister, Dorie, who joins the Women's Army Corps, and who strongly believes that her brother and Gordon are cowards for avoiding the fighting. When Jack gets badly injured in a fire, Gordon and Dorie have to work together to find out what really caused Jack's injury, and they both learn something about themselves, each other, and the things they thought they believed in most strongly. I really enjoyed getting to know Gordon and Dorie, and I appreciated the role that faith and belief played in this story. I also enjoyed learning about this part of WWII history that I was less familiar with through the lens of a fun and fast-paced mystery story. The storytelling is beautiful and emotional, and Amy Lynn Green does a great job of bringing history to life.

Highly recommend!!

In this new book by Amy Lynn Green, there are real fires as well as many metaphorical ones. The bulk of the story takes place in the early months of 1945. The war is a metaphorical fire in the lives of Americans. Conscientious Objectors (COs) have been given the task of smoke jumping in Oregon. The story unfolds through correspondence and narrative from the perspective of Gordon Hopper, a CO, and Dorie Armitage, a WAC and the sister of one of the COs. Through Amy Lynn Green's research and storycrafting, we learn about the assignments and arguments of the COs, a strange Japanese bomb that mysteriously appeared on the western coast, and the Triple Nickels Division. A Reading Group Guide is included and there is much to discuss. This book is a refreshing change from the WW II historical fiction based in Europe. I am definitely a fan of this author and interested in reading her debut novel from last year: Things We Didn't Say.

Thank you to Bethany House and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

“The world isn’t black and white. No one does pure good or pure bad. It’s all gray. Therefore, no one is better than anyone else." - Marc Stiegler

I don't usually quote someone other than the author when reviewing a book, but while reading The Lines Between Us by Amy Lynn Gray, I often thought about black and white (right and wrong) and countless shades of gray in life.

I was completely captivated by this historical novel, a WWII story like none other I've read. Set in 1945, it features Gordon Hopper, a conscientious objector whose family heritage and new-found Quaker faith prevent him from enlisting in the military. He and other like-minded individuals perform "work of national importance" by serving as smokejumpers in a heavily wooded area of Oregon. When his best friend Jack is seriously injured in a mysterious winter forest fire, Gordon has many questions.

Dorie Armitage, Jack's sister and proud member of the Women's Army Corps, doesn't respect conscientious objectors but is compelled to investigate Jack's accident. While visiting the area under false pretenses, she's forced to work with Gordon, but her need for the truth by any means necessary clashes with his principles to be honest in all things.

I was never sure where this novel would take me, which I thoroughly enjoyed. The author's extensive research was evident, and I appreciated learning historical facts about the US homefront. I won't say more to avoid spoiling the reading journey for others.

Thank you to Bethany House and NetGalley for a review copy of this outstanding novel. I plan to read Ms. Green's debut Things We Didn't Say as soon as possible.

Once again, Amy Lynn Green excavates a little known facet of American War history in her home-front tale of courage, perseverance and bravery in a different war arena. Never once flailing in empathy or certainty of character, Green's assured voice and penchant for transplanting the reader to a different decade where two characters overcome adversity --and in this case fires literal and metaphorical--- invites us to a unique intersection of war and peace.

This inspiring tale of conviction told with Green's infusion for letters and other ephemera redefines our notions of comrades in arms with Gordon and Dorie, all too wonderfully real, winsome and immediately likeable.

I loved Things We Didn’t Say, Amy Lynn Green’s debut novel, so I was really looking forward to reading The Lines Between Us. While this isn’t another epistolary novel, as I had hoped, there are a lot of letters and other communications in this story, which give it the same feel. I really love Ms. Green’s writing style and how she brings little known historical events to light.

This story was basically one surprise after another for me. Without going into spoiler territory, things I thought for sure would happen didn’t and the mystery of how Jack’s injury really happened, and who was guilty, was not at all what I was expecting!

Even though I wasn’t too sure about her at the beginning of the story, Dorie ended up being my favorite character. Her sense of humor really added the touch of lightness that kept the story from being too heavy. I also liked how she wasn’t going to let anything stand in her way of finding out what really happened to her brother, Jack. While I liked Gordon and reading about his perspective as a conscientious objector, I wished there would’ve been more discussion between him and others about war and whether it was right or wrong to enlist. I think a good dialogue would’ve really added to the story.

I really enjoyed this story and learning about parts of history that I wasn’t aware of. I can’t wait to see what Amy Green has in store for us next!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own. The faith thread was light. 4.5 stars.