John P. Deffes Until My Last Breath

Until My Last Breath

John P. Deffes

Vintage Romance, Aug 2006, $16.95

ISBN: 0978536827

In 1938 while working on his family's Montana ranch, eighteen years old Caleb Roberts meets Jamie Lynn Connor, the daughter of his new neighbors. He is instantly stunned and realizes he is in love at first sight, which he tells her. She says she is fond of him but they just met. Later they see one another as he takes flying lessons from aviator Max. However, Caleb angrily intervenes when Max sexually molests Jamie. Max flies away, but crashes and is found dead. Jamie tells Caleb not to tell the sheriff as she knows first hand no one will believe her, as her dad touches her. Caleb's father visits Jamie's dad to tell him his daughter will live with the Roberts.

A year later Jamie and Caleb are married and living in Texas where he trains to be an aviator in the Army Aircorps. As a consequence to the attack of December 7, 1941 now a lieutenant, Caleb is sent to war leaving behind his beloved wife and their infant son Connor. Both adults know they may never see one another in this life again and their son may never learn to play baseball with his hero dad.

UNTIL MY LAST BREATH is a great war novel that pays homage to the Soldier by showcasing the real sacrifices and costs to the fighter and his or her beloved family members. The story line cleverly uses WW II as a backdrop to the saga of a loving patriotic couple whose life together is interrupted perhaps permanently by the hostilities. No one will remain dry eyed when four years old Connor asks his mom about his dad as readers ponder "When will they ever learn"? Perhaps not until Congress and the White House have to tell one on one that a beloved died in combat.

Harriet Klausner