Julia's Gifts
As a young girl, Julia began buying gifts for her future spouse, a man whose likeness and personality she has conjured up in her mind, a man she calls her “beloved.” Soon after the United States enters the Great War, Julia impulsively volunteers as a medical aid worker, with no experience or training. Disheartened by the realities of war, will Julia abandon the pursuit of her beloved? From Philadelphia to war-torn France, follow Julia as she transitions from unworldly young woman to compassionate volunteer.
This is a most enjoyable "breadcrumb" style story in which each of Julia's gifts find delightful meaning as the story unfolds. This is a perfect book for moms or grandmothers to enjoy reading alongside a teen daughter or grand daughter.
Unselfish intentions and actions
Honoring the dignity of others
Waiting in spite of frustration
Discover more reasons that readers of many ages, from young teens to mature grandmothers, can all enjoy this book. Read More
“Ellen is a superb storyteller, whose unique story lines and compelling characters, keep her readers riveted to the pages of her tales. Her most recent gem, Julia’s Gift, is no exception. When was the last time you read a love story that unfolds in the midst of the brutality and death of World War I? How is it that an author who is some 100 years removed from the times and war she uses as the setting of her novel and who herself has never actually seen the destruction war wrought, do so, so skillfully that her readers feel they are there in France, witnessing Julia and Major Winslow navigate the dangers of war and the improbable twists and turns that their relationship takes? – only someone who has taken the time to do painstakingly detailed research. Only someone whose deep Catholic Faith guides and shapes her own personal life could create the powerful characters whose faith guided and sustained them when others would have long before despaired. True love, as Julia and her beloved Major so powerfully teach us, does not first occur in between the bed sheets, but in the heart and then the soul. Like other reviewers, I had difficulty putting the book down. I think you too will have the same problem.”
This appreciative review also includes an interview of the author that gives a bit of back story of the writing of the book. Read More
