This is a lovely story, and well told. It's about a young woman, from aged 11 to 18 and beyond. It explores her emotional development and the way she negotiates the challenges of a Catholic upbringing whilst having normal sexual urges. It's also a story about love in all its dimensions - the good, the bad and the ugly. The complexities of the human condition are essentially what this book is about, and yet the story was told in a simple and "easy to relate to" way. Interesting. I suspect I might be thinking about it for a while ...

Reality-based fiction can prove a challenge to write, but this author really pulled it off well, convincing me the protagonist story was real, interesting, and relatable without making it seems dull nor uninteresting. Reading about these two main characters face their loss of idealism along with personal tragedies really was interesting. Religious beliefs, their love of family and country and the changes having to be dealt with in the world in particular. The protagonist's contrasting thoughts and diary entries against the serious plot worked well for this, her change from immature to mature quite evident. I consider this one an excellent novel overall!

WOW! Homecoming dances, crushes, and JC Pennys! This book takes you back to the best of high school! The reality explored in this book was so recognizable, I felt like I knew Nancy and her friends personally. This book was so well written that I was deeply engrossed in the story. I actually teared up at one point, but I don't want to write any spoilers. You'll know when you reach it. It was hard, though a bit predictable. I loved all of the characters and the story was so real that it felt like non-fiction. I didn't realize when I got this book that it was book three, so now I need to go back and read one and two. I highly recommend this book but be warned: it will tug at your heartstrings!

The book captured my interest throughout to learn what Nancy would do next. Set in 1969, it accurately portrays the customs of the times, which were quite different from now. The story addresses the problem of raging teenage hormones and the potential consequences of listening to them. It explores the high school drama of band and baton twirling, although those are minor storylines. I could understand Nancy's loneliness and the difficulties of single parenthood and why she turned to her husband's brother in her husband's prolonged absence in the service.

The author's description of the book is very accurate. I had not read the two previous books in the series, but this book stands alone without reading the others.