A Novel
by Sarah Jio
Critics' Opinion:
Readers' rating:
Published Dec 2011
320 pages
Genre: Romance
Publication Information
In the summer of 1942, twenty-one-year-old Anne Calloway, newly engaged, sets off to serve in the Army Nurse Corps on the Pacific island of Bora-Bora. More exhilarated by the adventure of a lifetime than she ever was by her predictable fiancé, she is drawn to a mysterious soldier named Westry, and their friendship soon blossoms into hues as deep as the hibiscus flowers native to the island. Under the thatched roof of an abandoned beach bungalow, the two share a private world - until they witness a gruesome crime, Westry is suddenly redeployed, and the idyll vanishes into the winds of war.
A timeless story of enduring passion, The Bungalow chronicles Anne's determination to discover the truth about the twin losses - of life, and of love - that have haunted her for seventy years.
Paperback original.
"An enchanting, sentimental story of love and friendship, heartache and betrayal, spanning seven decades." - Shelf Awareness
"Power plays, backstabbing, an old art mystery, and a very intriguing young soldier mesh together in an ultimately captivating tale." - Booklist
"This unabashedly romantic novel just narrowly avoids being sappy, thanks to Jio's (The Violets of March) deft handling of her plot and characters. Fans of Nicholas Sparks will enjoy this gentle historical love story." - Library Journal
"[A]n overwhelming profusion of deadening wartime clichés makes for a dull, frustrating read." - Publishers Weekly
"A heartfelt, engaging love story set against the fascinating backdrop of the war in the Pacific." - Kristin Hannah, New York Times bestselling author of Home Front and Night Road
"In this rare piece of historical chick-lit, a sweeping love story unfolds between a young nurse and a mysterious soldier, set against the backdrop of World War II. Don't write off The Bungalow as another silly romance. Readers looking for a tad more heft will appreciate the unexpected murder mystery and the lush ambiance of the story's exotic local: Bora-Bora." - Marie Claire
"Sarah Jio whips romance, history, and a page-turning mystery into one mesmerizing South Sea dream." - Carol Cassella, national bestselling author of Oxygen and Healer
"The Bungalow is a story as luscious as its exotic setting. Ms. Jio has crafted a wartime story of passion and friendship, loss and mystery. It's also a story of discovery - discovering one's own heart, and of finding a second chance long after all hope is gone. You'll remember the sparkling water and yellow hibiscus long after the last page is turned, and will want to start searching for your own lost bungalow and the parts of yourself you've long since forgotten." - Karen White, author of The Beach Trees
This information about The Bungalow was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Sarah Jio is the health and fitness blogger for Glamour.com. Her articles have appeared in O, The Oprah Magazine and Real Simple, among other publications. She lives in Seattle with her husband and three children. Visit her at www.sarahjio.com.
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