This is the story of the Hayes family, but also that of many families around the world whose loved ones are serving or have served their countries throughout the years. Our particular tale centers around WWII sharing both outlooks from HOME and those AWAY on the front lines. It shares the heartache felt everyday as their absence is realized anew. It shows the strength of heart they were forced to show in order to keep their daily lives going as well as the fortitude necessary to stay strong in the face of the enemy. It also makes us privy to the particular twists and turns that life took for young Dennis Hayes while his brother was off at war.

Dennis was your average lad; afterschool job, average grades, navigating first love, helping his mom, while steering clear of his pops...the usual. He and his father never really saw eye to eye and the absence of his older brother didn't help things in that department. You know how some siblings simply are closer to one parent or the other? Such was the case here and Dennis was much tighter with his mother. His father was someone present yet not, for him at least. He had quite a temper and when stoked by alcohol, things only got worse. Dennis tried to be the fire blanket to his temper but things didn't always work out that way. Theirs was a relationship that could only be grown into, not forced.

There are plenty of opportunities to grab the old tissue box here, but around page 89-90, I had met my match. I was tearing up at the sheer love Dennis showed for his mother as well as the generosity of the saleswoman in aiding his cause. What cause you ask? To put it simply, to purchase a Christmas present for his mom, but with money tight and expectations (on his part) high, achieving that goal was going to take a little heaven-on-earth assistance. It was a joy to behold the kindness shown in this simple scene and a testament to the author's ability to write emotively. If I wasn't a fan of Dennis already, that page alone would have done the trick.

Overall, I'd say a winning read for any time of year for those that have served our country, those that kept the fires burning at home, or anyone really. It's a Fiction read straight from the History books that reflects seasonal celebrations both then and now with spot on accuracy. Whenever a family or friend is missing from the family photo, it's felt, more so at the festive time of year that heralds the enjoyment of that very thing. The real yet tender way it was portrayed here leaves a lasting impression and reminds us to celebrate EVERY moment because we never know when it will be our last.


***review copy received in exchange for my honest review....full post can be seen on my site*** ( )

Home and Away is a fictional Christmas story that happens during WWII and the year 1944, as we follow the Hayes family. Norma has a son fighting in the in the last battles trying to break the Nazis, and we are combining fact with fiction, as to what is happening day to day.
Her second son is also growing up, keeping a full time job, and plans to enlist at his next birthday when he will turn 17. He is also smitten with and experiencing his first girlfriend, and we see scrimping and saving to make his first dance happen with a new suit.
There is a heartstring struggle between the family and their father, not being proud of how he makes his living with his hands as a mechanic. I love how we come to terms with life, and how to accept what is given us.
A really sweet Christmas read, that will make you think, and take you back seventy plus years, to a different time and generation.

I received this book through I Am A Reader, Not A Writer, and was not required to give a positive review. ( )