Remembering You by Tricia Goyer

From the back of the book:

Television producer Ava Ellington cannot refuse her grandfather’s last wish—that she accompany him to Europe on a tour of World War II battle sites, Ava has little interest in historical battles, but this may be her last chance to break down the barriers that have grown up between them, and she sets off, camera in hand, ready to record and report on their journey. She and Grandpa Jack are greeted in Paris by Paul, her grandpa’s best friend, and his grandson Dennis. The Dennis who just happens to be Ava’s first love.

History comes alive as the group travels across Europe—from the romantic sights of Paris to the bleak battlefields of Belgium to the Austrian labor camp these men liberated so many years before—and Ava sees a side of her grandfather she’s never known before. As he shares his memories of those bitter days on the battlefield, she begins to understand how his experiences in the war made him the man he is today.

Throughout the journey, Ava and Dennis are drawn together in ways neither of them expected. Can their memories of the past lead to a bright new future?

My thoughts:

I have very mixed feelings about this book. I loved the story of Grandpa Jack and Ava and Grand-Paul and Dennis. It was delightful to journey with the four of them through Europe and relive the experiences that the two grandfathers had during World War II while they were fighting in the 41^st Cavalry Recon Squadron, Eleventh Armored Division, Patton’s Third US Army. The author’s ability to make you feel as if you are touring with them is amazing. Her descriptions of the Parisian people were spot on.

I thought that Ms. Goyer did a great job of portraying what happens in a friendship that moves on. Most of us have experienced having a great friend that we thought we would always be close to. Then life happens and you wind up on different paths. The awkwardness of this is depicted well in the relationship between Ava and Tana.  

The relationship between Ava and Grandpa Jack is rocky because of past misunderstandings. I enjoyed watching them work through that and realize how important they are to each other. Grandparents are such an amazing part of our lives. Once Ava understood how much her grandfather and his buddies sacrificed, the story really took off.

What I did not like was the relationship between Ava and Dennis. Their romance just fell flat for me. I do not want to say too much and ruin the ending, but I just thought that they had several issues to work through. I did not like the way that Dennis always seemed to assume the worst of Ava.

If you are looking for a moving romance, this probably is not the book. But if you are looking for a book about a time in history that changed our world, pick this one up.

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