Blog Tour ~ "By the Stars" by Lindsay B Ferguson

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By the Stars by Lindsay B. Ferguson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Source: Received electronic copy from publisher to review
Genre: Historical Fiction

Book Description:  He was lost. Lost in those deep brown, beautiful eyes. 

As clear as day, Cal heard a voice inside his head: “That’s the girl you’re going to marry.”

When Cal finally gets a chance with Kate, the girl he’s loved since grade school, their easy friendship quickly blossoms into a meaningful romance. But World War II soon cuts their time far too short and Cal prepares to part from her—possibly for good. With Kate's memory willing him on, Cal must put his trust in God to survive if he hopes to ever return to her. Inspired by a true story, By the Stars is a romance that stands the test of time and the most intense obstacles. 


My thoughts: This is a very moving story.  I was touched by the trials of Cal and Kate as they tried to figure out what they wanted with their lives.

The majority of the story is set during WWII.  Cal was away from his home and family for three years serving a mission for his church.  He came home and was immediately drafted.  During his short period home he reconnected with the girl he had loved from afar as a young boy and teen.  Their courtship was quick and intense, but war has  a way of leaving the future uncertain.

The book helped me think about how I view history.  Often I see events and names of people and forget that they had dreams and hopes.  They lived, loved, and faced trials. This book brought the time period to life for me.  I loved looking at events through the hearts and minds of Cal and Kate.

Cal's view of the war in the Philippines is not pretty.  This book does contain violence.  It helped me appreciate the sacrifice of the soldiers who survived and mourn for the fallen soldiers.  This book touched my heart on many different levels.

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About the Author: (Taken from Goodreads)  Lindsay has been immersing herself in stories since her childhood days of sneaking a flashlight into her room and staying up reading The Babysitters Club series way past her bedtime, writing spinoffs of The Twelve Dancing Princesses, and imagining herself in fascinating, far-off places. She still dreams of traveling the world one day, and finds getting lost in a good book almost as absorbing as penning her own stories and experiencing them unfold. A Communication graduate from the University of Utah, she worked as a PR and marketing writer for a computer software company for several years and has contributed feature lifestyle articles to various media outlets. When she felt the itch to attempt novel writing a fascination with history created a natural inclination toward historical fiction, with a romantic flare, of course. She lives in a suburb of Salt Lake City with her husband and four children. By the Stars is her first novel.

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Visit the tour stops:

March 8: My Book a Day | Write Writing Written | New LDS Fiction
March 9: Robyn Echols | Rambling Reviews
March 10: Bookworm Lisa | Totally Obsessed
March 11: Aubrey Zaruba | From Eeka’s Eyes
March 12: Novel-ties | Books R Us
March 13: Read Between the Bindings | This Mormon Life
March 14: Marianne Sciucco | Clean Romance Reviews
March 15: LDS & Lovin’ It | Emmy Mom
March 16: Bloggin’ ‘Bout Books | I Am a Reader
March 17: Getting Your Read On | Wishful Endings
March 18: Mel’s Shelves | The Things I Love Most
March 19: Singing Librarian Books | Inklings and Notions
March 20: Ashley Ziegler | Jorie Loves a Story
March 21: Katie’s Clean Book Collection | My Little Sunshines
March 22: Making Life a Bliss Complete | The Random Book Blogger
Books Are Sanity | Fire and Ice
March 23: Becky’s Book Reviews | Rockin’ Book Reviews
March 24: My Reading Spot
March 25: September Fawkes
March 26: Wanna Be Balanced Mom
March 27: Compass Book Ratings
March 28: Blooming with Books
March 29: Jorie Loves a Story