I love history. There are just so many interesting little known parts of it which is probably why I like this book so much. The Wind is Not a River is a bit like Cold Mountain for WW II, and it tells the story of the only battle fought on American soil. What, you say? Or maybe that's just what I said because I didn't realize that Japan successfully invaded the Aleutian Island American territory, sending the native population to prison camps in Japan until the end of the war.
The book is told in the alternating voices of John Easley, a war correspondent, and his wife Helen. John finagles his way onto an aircraft that then goes down, leaving him stranded alone on the island of Attu. Helen, desperate for news of her husband, invents a back story and joins the USO as an entertainer in order to get closer to the island chain.
The writing is great, the setting is stark and bleak,and yet the bravery that each exhibit in the face of impossible odds is amazing.
Definitely keep your eyes open for this one!
– Annie