A busy, harried career woman is forced to pull her car into a quiet and peaceful veteran's cemetery when she has mechanical trouble. After calling for help, she decides to leave the hot car and sit on a bench beneath a shade tree, overlooking the neat rows of crosses. As she waits impatiently, fiddling with her PDA and laptop computer, she hardly notices an elderly woman who comes from nowhere to sit beside her. The old woman begins a conversation, ignoring the businesswoman's lack of interest, and then proceeds to tell her?without even asking if she wants to hear it?what turns out to be an amazing story. It is the tale of a young soldier and his journey from an idyllic small-town home to a World War II battlefield on an island in the South Pacific. The soldier writes a long letter every day to the girl back home that he pledged to marry when he returned from the war. He talks of his desire to raise a family and become a minister as they had planned. Then, in a heroic act, the young soldier saves the lives of several of his buddies but, in the process, he is seriously wounded and loses his eyesight. When the young soldier returns home, he is bitter and refuses to marry his sweetheart. He claims he does not want to saddle her with the responsibility of caring for a cripple for the rest of his life, turning his back on her and God. She tries to share with him her outlook on life, her belief that God uses such tragedies to direct us toward achieving greater things in our ride through life, but the soldier refuses to listen and shuts her out of his dark, hopeless world. However, God does have bigger plans for both the soldier and the woman. With the help of some of the men whose lives he saved, the soldier's fiance makes him see God's purpose and that he can not only be a miracle himself but lead others through rough road on life's perilous ride. Then the businesswoman, captivated by the old woman's story, experiences a miracle in her own life. A final revelation shows the busy executive that her stop at the soldiers? cemetery that day, and her encounter with the old woman and a couple more "angels," were no mere coincidences. The mystery of how these three people and their fates are intertwined will offer hope for those who are hurting or who have loved ones of their own fighting a distant war. The story is a salute to veterans everywhere, regardless the war, and the sacrifice they make for their country. It is also a story of those who are left behind and the sacrifices they make in wartime as well. This theme resonates strongly with what is happening in Iraq, Afghanistan and other places today. But this is primarily the story of a love and faith that even a world war could not kill and of all the good that comes from what appears to be tragedy.
About the Author: EDIE HAND Edie Hand is a business woman, speaker, television celebrity, and author. She has authored, co-authored, or assisted in the development of over twenty books. Her personal books include inspirational cookbooks and novellas from the heart. In addition, the business world knows Edie for her many acts of kindness and work in various charities. Edie has starred in national commercials, daytime television soaps, and hosted numerous radio and television shows nationwide. She has been the CEO of Hand N' Hand Advertising, Inc. since 1976 while actively involved in the Alliance for Women in Media (formerly known as American Women in Radio & Television) for over thirty years. In an effort to pay it forward and leave a legacy for community involvement, Edie founded the Edie Hand Foundation after the loss of her three young brothers. Her foundation helps to benefit The Children's Hospital of Alabama and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Edie is also an alumnus of the University of North Alabama. She lives near Birmingham, Alabama, with her husband, Mark Aldridge. Her son, Linc Hand, lives in Hollywood, California. Her web sites are www.ediehand.com and www.ediehandfoundation.org. DON KEITH Award-winning and best-selling author Don Keith has published more than 25 books, fiction and non-fiction, including several bestsellers. While working as a broadcast journalist, he won awards from the Associated Press and United Press International for news writing and reporting. He was also the first winner of Troy State University's Hector Award for innovation in broadcast journalism. As an on-the-air broadcaster, Don twice was named the Billboard Magazine "Radio Personality of the Year." He was a broadcast personality for over twenty years in Birmingham and Nashville. His first novel, THE FOREVER SEASON, was named Alabama Library Association's "Fiction of the Year" award in 1997. He later co-wrote a nationally-bestselling thriller with former nuclear submarine commander George Wallace, FINAL BEARING, and its follow-up, FIRING POINT, which has been optioned as a major motion picture. Don lives in Indian Springs Village, Alabama, with his wife, Charlene. He is also a sought-after public speaker, a member of the Alabama Writers' Forum, and actively supports local and statewide literacy efforts. His web site is www.donkeith.com.