The Sea Before Us (Sunrise at Normandy Series #1)

by Sarah Sundin

Overview

In 1944, American naval officer Lt. Wyatt Paxton arrives in London to prepare for the Allied invasion of France. He works closely with Dorothy Fairfax, a "Wren" in the Women's Royal Naval Service. Dorothy pieces together reconnaissance photographs with thousands of holiday snapshots of France—including those of her own family's summer home—in order to create accurate maps of Normandy. Maps that Wyatt will turn into naval bombardment plans.

As the two spend concentrated time together in the pressure cooker of war, their deepening friendship threatens to turn to love. Dorothy must resist its pull. Her bereaved father depends on her, and her heart already belongs to another man. Wyatt too has much to lose. The closer he gets to Dorothy, the more he fears his efforts to win the war will destroy everything she has ever loved.

The tense days leading up to the monumental D-Day landing blaze to life under Sarah Sundin's practiced pen with this powerful new series.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780800727970
Publisher:	Baker Publishing Group
Publication date:	02/06/2018
Series:	Sunrise at Normandy Series , #1
Pages:	384
Sales rank:	711,076
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.40(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Sarah Sundin is the bestselling author of several popular WWII series, including Sunrise at Normandy, Waves of Freedom, Wings of the Nightingale, and Wings of Glory. Her novels have received starred reviews from Booklist, Library Journal, and Publishers Weekly. The Sky Above Us received the Carol Award, her bestselling The Sea Before Us received the FHL Reader's Choice Award, and both Through Waters Deep and When Tides Turn were named on Booklist's "101 Best Romance Novels of the Last 10 Years." Sarah lives in Northern California. Visit www.sarahsundin.com for more information.

Editorial Reviews

03/12/2018
Sundin (A Distant Melody) displays her usual knack for weaving historical detail into a rousing war drama in this enjoyable launch of the Sunrise at Normandy series. Dorothy Fairfax is an officer in the Women’s Royal Naval Service (aka the Wrens), analyzing reconnaissance photos of the Normandy coast in order to create accurate maps for the upcoming invasion. The area is well known to her because she used to vacation in Normandy while growing up. She is teamed with American naval lieutenant Wyatt Paxton, a gentleman of faith who left home after being blamed for a tragic accident that killed his brother’s fiancée. As the operation takes shape, Dorothy’s childhood vacation home at Omaha Beach, set on a fortified bluff, becomes a potential rallying point for the Allies’ invasion. At first Dorothy and Wyatt’s relationship is strictly professional, but as D-Day approaches, their reliance on one another deepens. Their romance might have to wait, though; Dorothy feels she can’t leave her ailing father, whose business is failing, and Wyatt is still guilt-ridden over betraying his brothers before the war, a tortured past that makes him skeptical of forging a new relationship. When the invasion begins, both officers must make crucial decisions—in war and in love. Faith elements are strong, portrayed as more than mere emotional support; both Dorothy and Wyatt wrestle with and ultimately rely on God during the life-threatening trials they face. Sundin’s lively book combines heart-pounding war action with inspirational romance to great effect. (Feb.)

Publishers Weekly

03/15/2018
In 1944 London, as the Allied forces prepare for the Normandy invasion, American naval officer Lt. Wyatt Paxton and British Wren officer Dorothy Fairfax work to piece together a map of Omaha Beach and its surroundings, drawn in part from reconnaissance photos, Dorothy's memories, and snapshots of her childhood vacations. As D-Day draws closer, explosive family secrets are revealed with the potential to derail the couple's focus and jeopardize a crucial victory the Allies need. Sundin weaves a story that is part wartime romance and part suspense, bringing to life the months and days leading up to the Normandy invasion. Both the personal pain suffered by the protagonists and the intrigue revolving around Allied plans combine to make this a full-bodied story rich with historical details. VERDICT The author of When Tides Turn kicks off a new wartime series, mixing her usual excellent historical research with fast-paced, breathtaking suspense. World War II fiction is hot, and this period romance will have wide appeal.

Library Journal