About the Book

Book: A Promise of Home: A WW2 Family Saga

Author: Kathryn Spurgeon

Genre: Historical Fiction

Release Date: November 21, 2022

What did WW11 look like for those who remained in the U.S? As the war heats up, hundreds of young men from Fremont’s hometown of Shawnee, Oklahoma, enlist, or get drafted. Word filters in about the wounded, the missing in action, and those who have died overseas.

Fremont Pope has not been drafted, but to do his part, he finds a job at an ammunition plant in Colorado Springs. His wife, Sibyl, hopes to teach women at a new church. They’re glad to get away from their cantankerous family, and then their family follows them to Colorado!

When the plant begins to close down, Fremont’s boss offers an amazing promotion back east. Their other choice is to move to New Mexico for mission work. Which will it be? Plunge ahead to a lucrative corporate job or help a small new church grow?

Ultimately, they yearn to go home, but where is home? Are they willing to give up their dreams and begin again?

As the couple stays in touch with people in their hometown, they learn of numerous war-time tragedies. Their return to Shawnee coincides with soldiers returning home. Based on a true story, footnotes and author’s notes are included.

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About the Author

Kathryn Spurgeon, an inspirational biographical writer. She’s won many awards including an Illumination Book Award. Publishing over a hundred stories, articles, and poems, she’s also published four novels. She grew up on an Oklahoma farm before moving to South Korea, where she adopted two children. She and her husband, Bill, now live in Oklahoma and have six children and fourteen beautiful grandchildren.

More from Kathryn

Researching the 1930s and 40s was almost more fun than writing the book!

Some reviewers’ remarks about this series:

“I could have learned a lot more in history class if we would have had stories like these.”

“Wow, reading this was like being there as it was happening. Cannot wait for more books by Ms. Spurgeon.”

My Thoughts

A Promise of Home: A WW2 Family Saga is written by Kathryn Spurgeon. This is part of the Promise series. I’ve read the series out of order, however I’ve. It had any issues following along. The author does such amazing job bringing history to life with her story.

Fremont Pope hasn’t been drafted. He starts a new job in an ammunition plant in Colorado Springs. Sybil, his wife hopes to teach women at their new church. However the treatment that they receive isn’t what they expect. I felt bad for Sybil. Trying to fit in and getting ready to have a baby. She brings up the idea of sending care packages to soldiers, but no one seems interested in that.

Both Fremont and Sybil know their heart is in ministry. I can’t even imagine feeling so unwelcomed in a new church. I wondered how that affected their hopes. I love all the historic details the author puts in about being on the home front during WWII.

Thank you to the author, publisher and Celebrate Lit for allowing me to read a copy of this book. All thoughts are my own.