Showing results by author "Gail Kittleson" in All Categories

1943: The world is at war and the outcome is anything but sure. In the heartland, communities like Caroline, Iowa, must bind together to support the cause. As the war drags on, few families escape paying the ultimate price. But the unity of this close-knit community is threatened by a violent death: a murder committed in the basement of the town's beloved Church Street United Brethren. Everyone, including the congregation's handsome new pastor, becomes a suspect.

Set in the German Hill Country of Texas during World War II, Land That I Love is a sweeping literary novel of love and loss; friendship and animosity; fathers and sons; and coping during times of war and peace. Yet, it is more than a love story. It is about the racism and bigotry that still exist in our world. As author Gail Kittleson's characters struggle with the problems of everyday life. They teach us that we survive hard times by being good neighbors despite our differences and that hatred can be conquered by love, understanding, and forgiveness.

Shortly after a quarter past eight, a siren split the air. Marian Williams lifted her sleeping daughter from her bed, and darted down the stairs. Her mother and father-in-law, off on air warden duty, had left the front door unlocked. She hugged her youngest child close. The blackout made the going difficult, but her husband’s instructions echoed in her brain: “Whatever you do, get down inside the station fast as you can.”