Books to Borrow Claysburg Area Public Library Recommends

By Jane Knisely

of Claysburg Area Public Library

Irvel Holland and Hank Myers were best friends since middle school in Bloomington, Michigan. As they grew older, Irvel began dating Sam Myers, Hank’s older brother. Hank was dating Maggie Wright. Yet they both knew they cared deeply for each other.

On December 7, 1941, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. Everyone wanted to know how they could serve their country. Sam signed up for the Army. Hank was not accepted as they were only taking one young man from each family at that time. Hank and Irvel wondered what they could do. Irvel began teaching the Math class that Sam had left. Hank started teaching Social Studies at the same school. It was the one they attended as children. Hank and Irvel became very close as they walked to school together and walked home together.

One day, two men came to Irvel’s classroom after school was dismissed. They wanted her to join the OSS (Office of Strategic Services). The OSS was the predecessor of the CIA. Its purpose was to gather intelligence for the military. Irvel was chosen as she was extremely gifted in Mathematics. She would be coding and decoding messages for the military. Her friend Ruth Cohn was also chosen. They were not allowed to tell anyone their purpose. They were to claim to be nurses and wear nurses’ uniforms. They were also trained in how to administer morphine and apply tourniquets in case they were called upon to help a soldier.

Hank joined the Marines. Soon the three were off to war. Irvel and Ruth were quick learners. They had to create codes that could not be broken by the enemy. Irvel would pretend to be getting medical supplies but she would actually be passing off secret messages. Hank and Sam were thrown into battle at the Guadalcanal.

Ruth was Jewish and had relatives in Germany. Ruth and Irvel prayed that the persecution of the Jews would be stopped. They had heard the horrible stories of concentration camps. So many died. Would her relatives survive?

Karen Kingsbury has been called the queen of Christian fiction. She is a New York Times bestselling author and has her own production company. The company filmed its first movie in 2022 – Someone Like You.