My first graphic read and I have Angie at By Book or by Crook to thank for putting this one in my sight.

I have been a little leery of graphic novels.  I have wanted to try one but when I would flip through them at the book stores they had a comic book look to them, many times being a large series that I didn’t want to start with.  When I seen this one on Angie’s blog it looked…. like a story.  And that is what it was…

This novel, told completely in pictures, is the story of an immigrant family.  It opens with the father leaving and prepping a place for his family to live in a new country. Through the pictures, Shaun Tan has shown how maps, and food, and even pets can look to someone who is unfamiliar with these things.

Talk about a picture being worth a thousand words.  From page one, through the graphics, and even the neutral colors of the pages, I felt a lump in my throat as the story unfolded.  Shaun Tan created an incredible work here that gave me eyes to see how someone from another country can possibly perceive a new life.  It is so hard to describe the book and all I feel I can tell you here is that emotion welled up inside of me, much like it would if you were in an art gallery and seen a particular piece of art that spoke to you.

This book, spoke to me, and in a way, has changed me and how I look at my world. While marketed for Young Adults, I think the some of the subtle could be missed by anyone not fully absorbing and appreciating what they are seeing.  Shaun Tan has created a master piece here and I am so glad I had the opportunity to experience it.

I picked up this book from my local Library

Bookjourney traveled to:  Riverside, California

If in Riverside California, seems like Back To The Grind might be a place to check out!

422 pages

Cover Story:  While it does fit the story line, the people on the cover do not seem to fit the people described in the book.

About A Distant Melody:

Never pretty enough to please her gorgeous mother, Allie will do anything to gain her approval–even marry a man she doesn’t love. Lt. Walter Novak–fearless in the cockpit but hopeless with women–takes his last furlough at home in California before being shipped overseas. Walt and Allie meet at a wedding and their love of music draws them together, prompting them to begin a correspondence that will change their lives. As letters fly between Walt’s muddy bomber base in England and Allie’s mansion in an orange grove, their friendship binds them together. But can they untangle the secrets, commitments, and expectations that keep them apart? A Distant Melody is the first book in the WINGS OF GLORY series, which follows the three Novak brothers, B-17 bomber pilots with the US Eighth Air Force stationed in England during World War II.

♦         ♦           ♦           ♦

I enjoy a good historical fiction read and A Distant Melody painted a picture of a historical California area that I am not familiar with in life, but became familiar within these pages.  Centered around WWII, and I was more interested in the historical value of the book than the romance.  If you follow what I read I really don’t touch on a lot of romance genre reads.

In the beginning of this read Allie is making a trip to her best friends wedding, leaving behind her boyfriend Baxter, who her parents expect her to marry.  Allie is not in love with Baxter, but does not wish to displease her parents and that annoys me to no end.  (I like strong characters!)

Enter Walter, a Lt. on his way home.  They wind up together on the train and discover they are traveling to the same place.  Allie thinks it is harmless to continue writing letters to Walter even after she returns home but the relationship grows…

As Allie learns to listen to God, instead of everyone else who tries to run her life, I start to appreciate her more.  I like strong characters and while Allie didn’t start there, she traveled there.

A Distant Melody is the first in the fictional “Wings of Glory” series.

In Sarah’s words:

Although I come from a home wallpapered in books, I only briefly envisioned myself as a writer, when my sister and I co-wrote Funny Dancing Fruits and Vegetables complete with crayon illustrations.

Then I discovered science. I loved learning about the intricacies of God’s creation, so I studied chemistry in college, and then got my doctorate in pharmacy—not a typical career path for a writer.

In pharmacy school, I met my husband, Dave. We settled in northern California and were blessed by three bright, funny children—Stephen, Anna, and Matthew. Then on January 6, 2000, I woke from a dream so intriguing I had to write it down. I proceeded to write a really bad 750-page contemporary Christian romance. Burn-it-when-I-die bad. But the Lord used it to call me into writing. I joined a critique group, attended writers’ conferences, and joined American Christian Fiction Writers. These all taught me about the craft of writing and the publishing industry, and introduced me to writers, editors, and agents.

I first submitted the manuscript for A Distant Melody in 2003, and over the next five years I accumulated a pile of “good” rejection letters from editors and agents. Finally in 2008, a submission at Mount Hermon Christian Writers’ Conference led to my first sale.

Between writing and driving kids to soccer and karate, I work one evening a week as a hospital pharmacist, teach Sunday school to fourth- and fifth-graders, and teach women’s Bible studies. I enjoy speaking to women’s groups and am available to speak on several topics. To learn more visit www.sarahsundin.com and if you are a history buff, don’t miss her great blog!

This book has been added to my Journey Map

I received my review copy of this book from Litfuse