Look to the East by Maureen Lang

It's very rare for me to get so involved in a series that I read every book within a two week period and then wander around on a book high wondering when the author is going to release another one, even though I know that she just released the latest one!  But that is exactly what happened when I read Springtime of the Spirit by Maureen Lang.  I loved it so much that I searched for another of her book's on Amazon and found Whisper on the Wind via Kindle.  I tore through that one as well.  I went on another search for the first book in the series, Look to the East.  I found it through interlibrary loan and loved it as well.  It was wonderful reading through the entire series.  I may have to go back and read them in the written order now that summer is here and I can enjoy them by the pool.  Here's a little bit about Look to the East, the first in the series...

Look to the East is set in France during World War I.  The heroine, Julitte, is an adopted daughter of one of the patriarchs involved in a long standing family feud that has divided their village.  As the war wages on, they are held captive by German forces, but there are numerous soldiers as well as a young man from Brussels that are trapped behind the lines.  The young man, Charles, finds his way to Julitte's village because he had a close friend that lived outside the village.  The town takes in the refuges and hides them from the German soldiers.  Julitte and Charles meet secretly in the town church and there love for one another blossoms in the most unexpected time and place.  Eventually, Charles is smuggled out of the town, but he never gives up trying to get his Julitte to safety as well.  The story of their love is enchanting and is reinforced with the events of the war in the story. 

This is the first in the Great War series.  Characters are introduced in this book whose stories are explored throughout the rest of the series.  Though having read them all in reverse order, the novels all stand on their own as wonderful reads but are enhanced by reading the entire series.  I am thankful to Maureen Lang for this series, because it has helped me understand and grasp World War I's geography, forces, and time period.

Look to the East is re-releasing this summer.  If you want to have some wonderful book adventures this summer, then I heartily suggest the entire Great War series by Maureen Lang.