Reading a true story set against the backdrop of WWII that leaves you with an overwhelming feeling of upliftedness, hope, and peace is not commonplace. However, that is exactly how I felt after reading ‘Til We Meet Again.
As a busy homeschool mom, it’s not often that I get a chance to sit down and read for pleasure. Oh, I’m always reading! But most of what I read is related to homeschooling — either educating myself on how to teach or reading aloud to my kids. So when I carved out a chunk of time to read this book, it was a special thing. I read it from cover to cover in four hours flat.
About the Book
Ray and Betty Whipps both served in Europe during WWII: Ray as an infantryman under General Patton in the trenches of Normandy, Paris, and Belgium, and Betty as a field nurse in Cherbourg, France. The two met when Betty tended to Ray after he was injured in a mortar blast. Both strong Christians, the two bonded over their shared faith, and as Betty nursed Ray back to health, they fell in love and vowed to marry after the war. However, soon after Ray returned to his unit, he was captured by German forces and held captive in Stalag VII, Germany’s largest prisoner of war camp. It was there that Ray’s faith was put to the ultimate test as he endured the most horrific weeks of his life—weeks marked by brutality, malnutrition, back-breaking labor, and near-constant death. The only thing that kept him alive was the dream of someday reuniting with Betty.
'Til We Meet Again
Written by Ray & Betty Whipps with Craig Borlase
ISBN: 978-1496405487
Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers
288 pages
What I Thought
One of the most remarkable things about this story is the absence of hatred on the part of both Ray and Betty even through some of history's darkest times. You will meet with true love and faith in the pages of this book. You will feel the grit and horrors of the battlefield, but through a lens of reliance on God, trust in His purpose, and trust that He will see you through. You will carry away from this book a sense of peace and hope that the same God will be with you in the trenches of your life and will remain just as faithful to you as He was to Ray and Betty. That kind of testament to God's faithfulness is what I will remember most about this book years into the future.
In addition to seeing God at work throughout Ray Whipps' life, you get a very good dose of history in this book. I found myself wanting to hang onto this title to give to my [future] high schoolers as an example of a living book for this time period. It would be fantastic to read this book with a world map at your side so you could follow along with each place Ray ended up.
I highly recommend this book!
Find it from the publisher here or on Amazon.
Thank you for posting this review. This is on request from my local library. Cannot wait to read it.
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