Love at Five Thousand Feet

HISTORICAL:  Dottie Lester returns to her hometown in Saplingville, Georgia after her mother’s death. She knows she must care for her alcoholic father but soon realizes she has taken on the role of parent. Dottie hopes, after grounding him in a new job, she can move to Macon, where her aunt lives. Then another complication arises—Dottie meets Victor Douglas, an ambitious pilot who steals her heart. Victor’s military experience qualifies him for a job with a commercial airline—his ultimate dream—but his own ailing father ties him to Saplingville as well. Torn between their own aspirations, family obligations, and a budding relationship, Dottie and Victor struggle to make the right choices and still find happiness.

Set against the backdrop of the 1930s in the rural South, this sweetly romantic love story rings true to the era. Realistic, well-developed characters will tug at readers’ heartstrings and take them back to a simpler time. Simplicity, however, is a weakness of this story. The prose as well as the plot are very basic and one-dimensional. Both hero and heroine have the same conflict: dealing with a failing parent. Sentence structure is elementary as well, with little in the way of setting details to enhance the fictional world. Repeatedly short, simple sentences beginning with pronouns (he, she) threaten to lull the reader into boredom. That being said, fans of historical romance will still enjoy this sweet, quick, and well-researched read.

Narrator Dawson McBride was an excellent choice, as his voice suits the period well. This is definitely a case where the narrator enhances the novel! The recording quality is consistent, and McBride’s easy pace and leisurely storytelling style bring the characters to life—particularly Victor, whom we easily come to love. 

FS Brown