The Simply Book Shelf :: Sarah Sundin's Sunrise at Normandy Series
Sarah Sundin’s Sunrise at Normandy series is a masterful blend of soul searching stories and fascinating history. D-Day was such a monumental event in history, but it was such a complicated operation. The average person may generally know of its existence, but Sundin peels back the layers to expose the various roles taken on by courageous men and women to bring it to a fruition, then puts skin and bone and heart into those characters as they wrestle with their role in history and their next steps of personal faith. As mysteries of each of the characters’ pasts, especially that of the Paxton men, are drug out into the light, their courage to press into the very real battles before them will decide if they will live or die by the Truth that can set them all free.
The Sea Before Us, takes us through the eyes of the British and U.S. Navy and their heroic charge towards the beaches of Normandy, and also the logistical teams that planned the attack from photographs, ingenuity, and calculated risk. Wyatt and Dorothy’s stories of learning about what they believe, about themselves and about the Lord, break your heart, and steal your breath.
The Sky Above Us, is a heart pumping ride with U.S. fighter pilots and their training to not only take on the D-Day assignment, but to protect and engage war-torn Europe in the months leading up to the operation. It also takes a look at the women who served with the Red Cross and just how pivotal their role was in caring for the men as they faced the perils of war. Adler and Violette learn what it means to re-define their faiths, define who the real enemy is, all while risking their lives, their dreams and their hearts.
The Land Beneath Us covers the portion of D-Day we think we know, but very specifically focuses on the special forces of the Army Rangers who scaled 100 foot cliffs to secure the land as all the various Allied troops gathered in to take the land from the Axis powers, and the training process they endured to undertake such a physically demanding and life threatening assignment. On the surface, this portion of the trilogy spends the least amount of time overseas, and feels like it is less about the invasion itself, and more about highlighting the invasive lie that caused the war to begin with: that that there are “others” who deserve to be treated as though they are not made in the image of God. Clay and Leah’s roles in the war are as unique as their story, but it makes room for so much heart and real wrestling with what God says is true about the hard parts of this broken world, and facing the questions the world seems to answer for us or if we will believe God’s answers and trust the way He tells our story.
(This is an image of Sarah’s most recent release, the 3rd book in this fantastic trilogy)
Find links to purchase Sarah’s books, to hear our podcast interview, and connect more with Sarah here.