The land beneath us

Reviewed by:

Cindy Akre, blogger and voracious reader

Title:

The land beneath us (Sunrise at Normandy)

Author:

Sarah Sundin

Publisher:

Revell

http://bakerpublishinggroup.com/revell

Date:

2020

Format:

Paperback

Length:

363 pages

OVERVIEW

            As a man, Clay, is betrayed by his brothers and enlists in the Army to become a Ranger.  During his time of “proving himself” and nursing a grudge against his brothers, he meets Leah, who carries her own heart wounds.  Circumstances bring them together, and as Leah writes to Clay while he is overseas, he learns forgiveness and she learns trust.  These themes run very strongly through the book. The story reflects the prodigal son, Clay, as the obedient son, and Leah mirrors the story of Leah, Jacob’s rejected wife in Scripture. 

            I loved how this author developed the characters.  With both Clay and Leah, we get a front row seat to the transformation that can occur when we forgive and then trust the Lord to use that.  The plot includes some unexpected turns. Overall it shows how we can be led to forgive our own past hurts and give them ultimately to Him so He can use them to bless us in unique ways. Clay learns these lessons while fighting in the Battle of Normandy.  But we have our own battles in life and this story teaches us that it works the same way for us. This is a compelling page turner. 

ASSESSMENT

Rating (1 to 5):

5

Suggested Audience:

High school and above

Christian Impact:

The Christian impact was incredible.  I don’t show a needed numerical score, but my review will give a few points to bolster my opinion.

Other Notes (Optional):

As a side note, the author had a page dedicated to the sources used for the story, which included real life Rangers.