Children of the Promise Series by Dean Hughes

These books were given to me by a neighbor several years ago, and I promptly tucked them away on a shelf.  I liked their pretty covers, but I wasn't in the mood for LDS fiction (honestly, I'm never in the mood for LDS fiction).  But having nothing to read a while back, I thought I'd give them a sporting chance.  So, dust covers removed, I began to "plow" my way through the series . . . or so I thought.  Instead, I found myself completely drawn in by Hughes' writing style, the stories, and the characters themselves.

He really did his research--I have to applaud that.  Although the main characters are fictional, almost everything that happens in the series is based on fact.  It follows the Thomas family, an LDS family living in Salt Lake City preceding, during, and following World War II.  With realistic dialogue, likeable characters, and a thrilling, fast-paced storyline, I didn't want to put the books down.  Any of them.  I think what I liked the most was learning about a piece of my family's history--both of my grandpa's served in WWII, and seeing what things were like for both them and their family and girls back home really struck a chord with me.  Very much worth reading, especially at this time of year--it begins around Christmas-time and describes the varied Christmases the family experiences as they spread all over the world.