The Magic of Ordinary Days by Ann Howard Creel

Rating: 5 ♥

Olivia Dunne, a studious minister's daughter who dreams of being an archaeologist, never thought that the drama of World War II would affect her quiet life in Denver. An exhilarating flirtation reshapes her life, though, and she finds herself banished to a rural Colorado outpost, married to a man she hardly knows. Overwhelmed by loneliness, Olivia tentatively tries to establish a new life, finding much-needed friendship and solace in two Japanese American sisters who are living at a nearby internment camp. When Olivia unwittingly becomes an accomplice to a crime and is faced with betrayal, she finally confronts her own desires.

Review: One Sunday evening I caught the movie form of this book on Hallmark. I loved it. A few days later my good friend emailed me very excited about a book and insisted I had to read it. She was already on her third reading of it. When it occurred to me that it was the same as the movie, I was intrigued!! I wasn't so sure I was going to like the book -- I thought it might be kind of Janette Oke-ish in book form, and I outgrew Janette Oke by my 16th birthday. But despite my misgivings, I checked it out from the library and dived in. It was one of those books that you're going along reading and thinking, 'hm it's good, but not great', and then before you know it your completely enamored.

It was amazing. There are so many layers and so much emotion and heart in this story, it just blew me away. Way better than the movie. I think the screenwriter for the movie missed the whole point of the book -- literally. Part of the story was totally different in the movie and was inconsistent with what the book is saying.

In life we make choices. Sometimes things work out better than we thought they ever could, and sometimes they don't. But not matter what choices we make there are ALWAYS consequences. We need to think about our choices and reactions and actions and think about what might happen as a result. And who we might hurt and effect with our actions.

I also appreciated the message that it's OK to live an ordinary life! There is NOTHING wrong with that! We can't all be destined to wander the globe and have adventures.

I just can't say enough good things about this book -- it's a must read and I am going to have to get a copy to keep.