This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Free Book Program, which is open to all readers and is completely free. The author will provide you with a free copy of their book in exchange for an honest review. You and the author will discuss what sites you will post your review to and what kind of copy of the book you would like to receive (eBook, PDF, Word, paperback, etc.). To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Donation Program, which was created to help nonprofit and charitable organizations (schools, libraries, convalescent homes, soldier donation programs, etc.) by providing them with free books and to help authors garner more exposure for their work. This author is willing to donate free copies of their book in exchange for reviews (if circumstances allow) and the knowledge that their book is being read and enjoyed. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email. Be sure to tell the author who you are, what organization you are with, how many books you need, how they will be used, and the number of reviews, if any, you would be able to provide.
Reviewed by Shrabastee Chakraborty for Readers' Favorite
Eleven-year-old Michelle Naget led a contented life with her family, basking in her profound faith in God. However, everything changed one fateful morning in June 1940, when the mass exodus of French refugees began. Soon afterward, the Nazis invaded the village of Braquis, setting up their headquarters in the Naget family home. With her eldest brother held captive by the Germans and another brother mortally wounded while aiding the French Resistance, Michelle and her parents tried their utmost to placate the Nazi soldiers occupying their home. Michelle became the Post, Telephone, and Telegraph officer, transporting letters, food, and medicine for the entire village. Yet, cycling through German camps each day was not safe for a girl on the cusp of adulthood. Would her faith carry her through the brutality of war? The Letter Carrier, a historical novel by L. C. Lewis, recounts Michelle’s story.
The Letter Carrier was a gut-wrenching read in which L. C. Lewis showed war’s ugly face unflinchingly. She also highlighted that the mindless violence and massive death toll were not the only consequences of war. There could be no way to repair the emotional scars it left, nor could anyone bring back the lost innocence of a childhood fraught with endless worry. I often found myself shaking, unable to hold back my tears. If reading the book could elicit such visceral reactions, I shuddered to think about what Michelle and her family endured. Lewis's writing made me feel constant fear and apprehension, where any little misstep could be disastrous. The entire book resembled a giant bated breath or a skipped heartbeat until the last quarter when I dared to hope, although it was fragile. While reading, I became a part of the Naget family, sharing every heartbreak and reveling in their family reunions. Michelle, our little letter carrier, commanded my respect as she braved her daily tasks even when the world around her crumbled. Her unwavering faith in God kept her strong in those trying times. I recommend this story to readers who appreciate books based on true WWII stories. Lewis deserves my sincere thanks for recording Michelle’s account because, as she rightly mentioned in the epilogue, this story needed to be shared.