Till the End of Time - Elise Title (HAR #377 - Feb 1991)

Series: Century of American Romance (Book 9)
 
A CENTURY OF AMERICAN ROMANCE 1890s--1990s
 
Her love hasn't got a chance. David Nichols has always been practically family. But while it may not be cool for David to dig his best friend's little sister, there is nothing sisterly about the way Annie Magill feels about him.
 
Now stationed at an evac hospital on David's base in Vietnam, Annie is David's link to happier times. Sultry nights ignite the flames of their passion, but Annie's heart is chilled when David reveals his dream of putting the war behind him.
 
Bravery, fear, camaraderie and risk--all are part of what Annie and David have come to mean to each other in Vietnam. How will their love survive if David denies what they lived through and what they rose above ...together?
 
This was a terrific book. The author's note at the back of the book speaks of her motivation for writing this story. How she watched the dedication of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and saw the women in uniform, women whom she'd never thought about before. Driven to understand their courage, she went on to read books and articles, many written in their own words. They had a profound impact on her life.
 

"These unique and remarkable women remain a haunting presence in my mind. I wanted to write a story that would show not only their valor and sacrifice, but one that would also capture their humor, their vulnerabilities, their passion, and their loves."

 
I believe that she succeeded far more than she could have imagined. I'm old enough to remember the Vietnam War. I was ten when my dad spent a year there as a combat correspondent for the Armed Forces Vietnam Network (AFVN). He didn't talk much about it, but I remember the few stories he could share. Annie and David's story brought that time into vivid focus.
 
Annie and David grew up in the same town. David was her brother Turner's best friend, along with their other friend, Hawk. Annie was the typical pesky little sister, tagging along whenever she could. While "the boys" were all family to her, her feelings for David were always a little more. When the war came calling, Hawk was the first to go - and to be sent home with a devastating injury. David is next to go and assigned to a special operations unit. Feeling a need to do her part, Annie joins the Army Nurse Corps as soon as she graduates.
 
Annie works at an evac hospital in Long Binh, the same base where David is stationed. While he is unhappy that she is in Vietnam, he can't deny that her presence reminds him of happier times. It also emphasizes the horror of his experiences in the field. I ached for David as he tried to separate the two parts of his life, but as the book goes on, you can see the strain he is under.
 
I loved following Annie as she experienced life as a military nurse. Her caring and compassion for "her boys" leap off the page. We can see her struggles as she patches them up to send them back into danger. She forms friendships with other women, such as Sue Ellen, one of the Red Cross workers. There is girl talk, mutual support when things get tough, and a few fun times squeezed in. Another friend is Jessie, a freelance journalist reporting on the war. She brings a new perspective to Annie, showing her the human side of the war and introducing her to Luong and Tai, two Vietnamese orphans. Jessie also sees something special in Annie, and I loved what she did with that knowledge.
 
I loved the development of Annie and David's relationship. It begins as friends, familiar faces in an ocean of stress. But Annie never let go of her crush on David, and the more time they spend together, the more her feelings grow. David fights his feelings, refusing to think about the future, fearing he won't have one. But as the months go on, he can no longer deny those emotions. As their love for each other grows, Annie dreams of a special future for them, knowing that their time in Vietnam has had an enormous impact on them. But David wants to forget everything about Vietnam, and Annie fears their love won't survive if he doesn't acknowledge what brought them together.
 
There is another significant reason that Annie refuses to forget her time in Vietnam. I loved her determination to make this journey and ached for her as David refused to participate. All she could do was hope he could overcome his bitter feelings and come back to her. The ending was a rollercoaster of emotions, surprises, and the prospect of having everything she dreamed of.