The end of the Great War is approaching, and Evelyn Gray had followed in her father's footsteps: she's a nurse in France. There was to be no fraternization between the nurses and the soldiers under their care, but love cannot be stopped. Evelyn had met Private Ralph Kelley, fallen in love, and only after he went back to the front did she discover she was pregnant; he promised to marry her when he came back from the front.

One day, Corporal Joel Campbell is admitted to the hospital where Evelyn works; he knew Ralph, who had talked about her. Joel is the one who tells Evelyn that Ralph is dead; she is devastated. At that time, nurses who got married or pregnant were discharged, and Evelyn fears she will soon be dismissed, and that she will have nothing to live for: no job, unmarried with a baby; the only family she has are her grandparents who don't know about her situation. Joel has suffered injuries, most of which will heal, except for one that crushes all his hopes for the future. Evelyn and Joel are two broken- hearted people who might have met someone who can help them heal.

HOPE RISING is so captivating that I read the whole book in one sitting! Ms. Henrie's descriptions of the settings, and especially the passages towards the end on the battlefield are so vivid and realistic, it doesn't even seem like fiction; it feels like we're right in the middle of the action, along with the characters. The author made me experience Evelyn's sorrow and pregnancy with such poignancy that I had shivers running down my spine. Joel's despair is palpable, but we also get to share their joy as well as their happy times, as if they were our friends. HOPE RISING is an emotional and touching book, and there was a turn of event that I absolutely never would have expected which changed the whole dynamic between the characters.

Stacy Henrie possesses superior storytelling skills, her historical accuracy and attention to detail are unsurpassed, and she knows how to create characters we can identify with and whom we really care for. HOPE RISING is a powerful and uplifting book that I will not soon forget: another winner from this superb author!