Letters to Loretta from the Radio Shack: A True WWII Teenage Love Story is a historical non-fiction work by Laura Lynn Ashworth. Loretta and Sal are both from the same part of Chicago. She's 15 when he joins the Navy, and he's 19. They start exchanging letters and continue doing so, with the exception of a one-year break, through June, 1945. Their letters chronicle their lives: Loretta grows up and starts working, and Sal trains as a Radio Operator and then is assigned a ship. Their friendship grows deeper and stronger as they continue to correspond, and they share their music and popular culture along with descriptions of their day-to-day lives. Ashworth adds historical notes on the whereabouts of the USS Signet in relation to the letters.

Laura Lynn Ashworth's historical non-fiction work, Letters to Loretta from the Radio Shack: A True WWII Teenage Love Story, is a fascinating look at the 1940s through the eyes of two young people in vastly different places. It's also a unique and marvelous coming of age saga as the two experience life and share their hopes and dreams. I enjoyed reading about their discoveries of the latest musicians and their favorite musical hits, and comparing the mores and customs of that time with those of modern times. Sal and Loretta go to studios to get the photographs they send to each other -- what a difference from today's selfie by cellphone! Letters to Loretta from the Radio Shack: A True WWII Teenage Love Story is also a historical look at life aboard a minesweeper in the Pacific. I enjoyed traveling back into the past reading Letters to Loretta from the Radio Shack: A True WWII Teenage Love Story. It's highly recommended.

Letters to Loretta from the Radio Shack: A True WWII Teenage Love Story centers on the real time letters between 19-year-old Sal and 15-year-old Loretta during World War II. It started with the letter dated January 5, 1943, sent from US Naval Training Station Farragut, Idaho, and the correspondence lasted until the last letter sent in 1945. Author Laura Lynn Ashworth found the letters while helping an elderly family member with veterans’ administration paperwork. She instantly knew how special they were, and decided to share them with the public, which I’m glad she did.

Sal, aka Slabby, and Loretta, aka Duchess, candidly wrote about their lives during those final three years of WWII. Sal was a radio man responsible for deciphering code out of the Navy’s radio shack. Loretta did several day jobs, substantially enough to get her own place while enjoying her healthy social life. Sal wrote about his days in the Navy and the fun he had on his liberty days. These two lovebirds kept asking for pictures from each other, which I find funny yet poignant at the same time.

In one letter, Loretta expressed her concern whether the Navy would change Sal. A solemn reminder that, despite the humor and romance Sal and Loretta shared through their letters, there was war going on. There were also letters from Sal’s father and uncle included in this book. Simply put, this is a captivating, nostalgic read. It’s like learning a piece of WWII history and life back in the '40s in an unconventional way. Of course, this is not just some real life account from the past; it is in fact a great love story.