French Letters Book One: Virginia's War [Paperback]

Jack Woodville London (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 2009 | Series: French Letters (Book 1)

French Letters: Virginia's War is a poignant novel that earned uncommon critical acclaim, being named a finalist for "Best Novel of the South," an award given by the Anderson Foundation in honor of Willie Morris and a finalist for the Military Writers Society of America award for Best Historical Novel of the Year.
This first book of the French Letters trilogy is the tale of one woman's home front experience, set against the back drop of the story of a small town that has plenty going on behind the scenes. It was there one morning that an unexpectedly pregnant Virginia Sullivan read in her father's newspaper that she had supposedly eloped with a soldier. This is news to Virginia, not to mention her "husband" Will Hastings, who was already off at war and knows nothing of it.
Sullivan is the daughter of a small town's leading figure, a newspaper owner who, because of his knowledge of everyone's personal business, runs the local black market in ration coupons and hard-to-get tires and gasoline, and sister of Bart, a draft dodger who runs the post office while keeping her mail from going or coming and preventing Will Hastings, the lead figure in French Letters: Engaged in War, from knowing that Virginia is pregnant or that her father has published a phony story.
There may be a World War going on thousands of miles away, but there's plenty going on behind the scenes in Tierra, TX to keep Virginia preoccupied.

Editorial Reviews

Review

This engaging trilogy, French Letters, opens with a scene from a small Texas town, affected like most of the country, by World War II. Populated by characters both engaging and exasperating, the action is never dull. From a bump on the nose to a baby bump, the activities in one small town easily fill the first book in the series, Virginia's War: Tierra, Texas, 1944 And by the end of the first book, readers will be wishing that they already had the next volume in hand.

The main circumstances of this story focus on Sandy Clayton, a small boy whose energy and interests always seem to keep him front and center of Tierra s happenings, and Virginia Sullivan, a young woman whose recent pregnancy is less surprising to her than the activities of her own family. Whether it s her newspaper-owning father announcing an elopement that never occurred or her brother Bart posting her personal letters on the bulletin board of the Post Office, something unexpected is always at hand.Then there s the back story of Virginia's friends, the boys who went off to fight the war: Will Hastings (of the reported marriage), his brother Peter, Hoyt Carter, and Johnny Bradley, not all of whom will make it through. Whether set on the home front of Tierra, Texas, or on the fields of France or the islands of the Pacific, there is grief to be suffered, but also strength and companionship among these friends from Texas.

Author Jack London has given his readers a great opening salvo in Virginia's War, something to sink their teeth into--a town worth exploring, interesting and complicated relationships, power struggles, and overshadowing it all, a World War. If London can keep up the pace of Virginia's War into volume two, he will surely have a winning trilogy on his hands. --BookPleasures, February 2009

About the Author

Jack Woodville London is a well-known trial attorney, acclaimed author and World War II historian.
A graduate of the University of Texas Law School and a former captain in the US Army Quartermaster Corps, he and his wife, Alice, live in Austin.  His publishing credits date back to 1970 when he was elected managing editor of the University of Texas International Law Journal.  Since then he has authored a long list of technical articles and papers on evidence, trial and courtroom procedure, aviation law, and product liability law.  He has spoken at legal programs throughout the United States and in England, Scotland, Mexico and Canada.
The novelist within him, delayed while he rose in the legal profession and until his children were grown, was always restless.  In the summer of 2003 Jack put aside legal writing to enroll in the prestigious writing school of St. Céré, France.  He graduated in the class that included acclaimed Canadian playwright Leeann Minogue and Germaine Stafford, winner of the Debut Dagger Award.
His French Letters series of novels are praised for their meticulous historical research and ability to capture the language, attitudes, and moral culture of their setting in prose described by reviewers as 'beautiful, but not pretentious.'
From his days as a U.S. Army quartermaster officer to the lectures he now gives, London has spent much of his life exploring a deep interest in World War II and its effects on the home front--particularly small towns. Born out of that deep interest is The Letter Project, a nationwide project to collect, dust off and showcase letters to and from veterans of all wars.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Vire Press (February 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0981597505
• ISBN-13: 978-0981597508
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,722,145 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

AUTHOR OF THE YEAR
2011 - 2012
Military Writers Society of America, for ENGAGED IN WAR

A graduate of West Texas A&M, the University of Texas, and the Writing Academy of St. Cere, France, Mr. London has trained as an army officer, trial lawyer, historian, and linguist. Having written articles for numerous professional journals, Jack (a distant relative of that other Jack London) has turned his pen to historical fiction.

ENGAGED IN WAR is the second volume of the planned World War II trilogy, French Letters. VIRGINIA'S WAR, the first volume, was runner-up for the 2008-2009 Best Novel of the South, an award made each year in honor of Southern novelist Wille Morris, and was finalist for Best Romantic Novel with a Twist.

Jack lives in Austin, Texas, with his wife Alice. His daughter Michelle is a teacher, son Jon a film director, and son Paul a professional wrestler and actor (perhaps a redundant phrase, but so he is).

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Stunning Debut from Jack London, February 9, 2009

By 

Michael Singley - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: French Letters Book One: Virginia's War (Paperback)

With Virginia's War, Jack London paints a vivid and poignant portrait of life on the home front during World War II in the small town of Tierra, Texas. Starting with a compelling prologue, Mr. London brings the town of Tierra and its residents to life, drawing us into the plight of Virginia Sullivan and the repercussions of her unexpected pregnancy. The novel is smartly written and engaging, with an uncommon human touch and resonance that stands out and makes the book a first-class read.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Infectious and Entertaining, March 22, 2009

By 

Claudia Pemberton "Author and Book Reviewer f... (US) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: French Letters Book One: Virginia's War (Paperback)

Set in the spring of 1944, "Virginia's War" chronicles six months in the life of a small Texas town as its inhabitants struggle with everyday existence in the backdrop of WWII.

Although war is raging a world away for Captain Will Hastings, life back home in Tierra, Texas goes on pretty much as usual with the exception of food rationings and other hardships brought on by the war. Unbeknownst to Captain Hastings, the entire community is under the impression that he and hometown beauty, Miss Virginia Sullivan, have recently tied the knot--a deception perpetrated by the father of the shockingly unwed and pregnant, Virginia.

"Virginia's War is beautifully written and centers around the scandals, cover-ups, and politics of life in a small town where everybody knows everybody--or so they think.

The front cover of "Virginia's War" has a lovely, nostalgic feel to it complete with an image of a winsome Virginia clasping handwritten letters from her soldier. I enjoyed having the visual of the heroine in my mind as I read her story.

The author offers a unique perspective of Virginia's "adult" dilemma as viewed through the eyes of an endearing adolescent boy named Sandy Clayton. Mr. London captures the boy's infectious personality and unique viewpoint perfectly, giving the reader multiple chances to chuckle and reminisce about the innocence of childhood.

Author, Jack London, sets a marvelous stage with which to draw the reader into his story, beginning with a taste of scandal in the prologue that divulges just enough conflict to whet the reader's appetite for more. He closes with an ending that leaves the reader satisfied but curious as to how the saga will unfold in the subsequent two volumes.

"Virginia's War" is extremely well written, authentic to the time period, and very entertaining.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Well written and quite engaging!, February 17, 2009

By 

Moonbeam "of Avalon" (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: French Letters Book One: Virginia's War (Paperback)

If anyone has ever lived in--or at least visited--a small town in the Texas panhandle, Virginia's War will transport them back to that land in both space and time. Mr. London has certainly done a fine job of painting a verbal picture of Tierra Texas, and his characters are so real, that I can't help but wonder if they were based on people he has actually known.

For those of us who weren't yet alive during this time period, Virginia's War is a great and entertaining way to learn about the other side of history--that history not made in the trenches or the Normandy Invasion, but those events happening here on the home front.

There is a twist at the end of the book, and a mystery. I can only hope that we will soon have a chance to read the next installment of French Letters, or I will personally call the author himself and find out what happened!