The Secret of Raven Point

The Secret of Raven Point by Jennifer Vanderbes

It is 1941. Juliet Dufresne ponders the crushing news that Tucker, her beloved brother, has decided to enlist in the Army. A talented star on the football field and popular with classmates, Tucker is willing to forsake it all to do his part in the World War II effort. Ignoring the pleas of his father and stepmother, Tucker chooses to go to battle. How can he know that his shy, awkward sister's heart is breaking....that it is the end of the world for her.

High school days spent in the chemistry lab lead Juliet to study nursing upon graduation. When she discovers Tucker is missing in action, she alters her age on her birth certificate in order to become a field nurse at a camp in Italy. She hopes that somehow her proximity to the front line will shed light on her brother's whereabouts. Slowly but surely, Juliet makes new friends and begins to gain confidence as her outstanding nursing skills are desperately needed. However, the bloody gore and mental anguish of so many young, innocent soldiers penetrate her nightly dreams. Then she meets Christopher Barnaby, a deserter awaiting court-martial whose mind is locked in a catatonic state after a supposed suicide attempt. Juliet learns he was in the same company as Tucker. Could his revelations lead her to the answers she needs? A psychiatrist, Dr. Henry Willard, attempts to unlock Christopher's mind, and in the process wins the heart and soul of Juliet. When she finally receives a puzzling letter from Tucker making references to their childhood days, she races against time to uncover the truth. Perhaps a secret code only siblings share can lead her to her cherished brother.

The author examines the impenetrable bond and love between siblings. She exposes the love that brave soldiers in World War II feel for one another while the horrors of war surround them.  Gradually they become family to one another as memories of home fade away. The reader learns in detail the misery, bloodshed, and sacrifices of combat. Love remains the only constant in their lives.

This novel combines mystery with emotion. As many reviewers have said, it is a coming-of-age story, a tale of a young woman faced with adulthood long before she is ready. I particularly like a book that allows the reader to interpret the words of an author in a variety of ways. Jennifer Vanderbes does just that. Moving and heartfelt, you just might write your own ending to this story. .