St. Louis Public Library Book Challenge

This blog is the home of the St. Louis Public Library team for the Missouri Book Challenge. The Missouri Book Challenge is a friendly competition between libraries around the state to see which library can read and blog about the most books each year. At the library level, the St. Louis Public Library book challenge blog is a monthly competition among SLPL staff members and branches. For the official Missouri Book Challenge description see: http://mobookchallenge.blogspot.com/p/about-challenge.h

Saturday, November 25, 2023

Just Once

Just Once by Karen Kingsbury 336 pages

Until three years ago, Audra Mitchell did not know her grandmother’s deepest secret. Why would she? Members of the Greatest Generation did like to talk about their service in beating the Axis Powers. Three years ago, Audra and her husband, Tom, were re-modeling her grandparents’ home when they found an old wooden box. Inside, they learned Grandma Irvel’s secret” she was a SPY!

The story jumps to 2018, as they learn about Irvel’s medical problems. That sets up the plot nicely for it to jump back in time to December 5, 1941. Irvel is in love with her best friend, Hank, although she is dating his brother, Sam.

It’s been a little while since I read Just Once, and I don’t remember the sequence of everything that happened. Sam is drafted and heads to Europe. Irvel is recruited by the OSS (Office of Strategic Services, forerunner to today’s CIA). Their worse fear comes true. While they are devastated, they must do what their country asks.

Have some tissues handy, this is a tearjerker. Just Once gets 5 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

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