Customer Reviews

Somewhere a Song (Daughters of Fortune, Book 2)

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The bombing of Pearl Harbor had a profound effect on the United States. Not only had we been attacked on our soil for the first time, it also marked our entry into World War II. Somewhere a Song tells the stories of three sisters from California - Cameron, Blaire and Jackie - all in different places at the time of the attack, both spiritually and physically.

Jackie is a student at UCLA living at home with her parents. There had always been a hint of racial tensions between the Japanese and the whites. The Japanese seemed to stay with their own kind and as long as they didn't cause trouble, the whites tolerated them.

Jackie's father was no different. When Jackie met Sam Okuda, she knew he was her soul mate, no matter that his parents were both from Japan. Though different by race, they have a kindred spirit and believe God wants them together.

When the Japanese military attacked Pearl Harbor, Jackie and Sam were already in love, but they had been hiding their relationship from everyone, including friends and family. As racial tensions intensify after the attack, Jackie knows she and Sam will have to stand up for their relationship if it is to survive. She has seen discrimination and cruelty bestowed on the Japanese in California and she knows if she chooses to be with Sam, she must endure the same treatment.

Blair has a flair for the dramatics. She has dabbled at being an actress, but mostly so she can pretend to be other people and not face the reality of herself. Even when she's not playing a real role, she finds herself lapsing into whatever role suits the moment. This results in lies and deceit.

When she falls in love with Gary, a Christian man in the military, he is torn between his love for her and his love for God. But her lies push him away.

In the midst of Blair's turmoil with herself, Gary is sent to the Philippines before the US goes to war. Blair, in a most unusual decision, decides to find him there. Normally pampered and taken care of, Blair finds herself in the Philippines trying to make it on her own and reconcile with Gary when the Japanese invade.

She finds Gary, but the self-centered woman in her comes forth. She wants Gary to choose between fighting in the military and taking care of her. His duty is with his country and he leaves Blair with the names of people she can call on to help her if things get as hard as he anticipates.

The two families he gives her are the families of preachers. The story follows Blair through the jungles of the Philippines as the Japanese move closer and closer. Not only does Blair discover an inner strength she had no idea existed; she searches for the source that strength.

Cameron, the oldest, is a newspaper reporter in Russia covering the war. Her father owns one of the largest publications in the states, but as an act of defiance, Cameron works for his largest competitor. Like Blaire, she, too, is in love with a Christian man. Her love is a Russian doctor, Alex.

Cameron wants no part of turning her life over to anybody. Her father controlled her for so many years that she can't comprehend giving up control to God. This divide ultimately separates her from Alex.

She forces him to choose between her and God and he chooses God. With the war going on around her and Alex gone, Cameron is forced to question her own choices in life and whether or not she is indeed strong enough on her own.

Three sisters in three different parts of the world search for God and for love in a very ungodly and unloving time. Judith Pella weaves the horrors of war with the beauty of God's strength throughout. God has put specific men in the women's lives to help cultivate what He knows is there.

I love historical fiction, and this is just a great series taking place in World War II, from the perspective of three sisters strategically placed in three areas of the world in the midst of the chaos of this war. To see history from the perspective of people living through this time was very special. I'm now reading book 3, and the series continues with excellent writing, characters, and story.

"Somewhere a Song" by Judith Pella is the second book in the "Daughters of Fortune" Series. This book mainly focus on Blair, the middle daughter and her struggles of finding her faith, while facing the possiblitly of being a POW on the Philiippines. While I moved by her journey, there were times I wonder if it was real. Older sister Cameron, also finds her faith while working in Soviet Union. Younger sister Jackie remains at home, deepening her relationship with fellow Christian Japanese-American Sam, who is facing hatred since the bombing. I found Jackie story to be the most interesting, due to the fact that few war-time setting deal with the treatment of Japanese-Americans.
But Overall, "Somewhere a Song" should not be missed.

I can't wait for the third book , i had read the first one last year and i just finish that one and i don't imagine myself waiting an other year for the third one, i love the story the historical backround the life of the 3 sisters the reality of their fears , love and joy of being christian women.my favorite character is Cameron i could really identify with her .amazing story thanks

I thoroughly enjoy this author's style and writing skills. She is very skillful in her historical research and covering any geography of the locals that she writes about. Her books are clean, refreshing, and free from explicit sexual scenes. Her characters are true to life and very human with their feelings, emotions, decisions in their roles in her books. I have enjoyed several other books by Judith Pella, especially her series on "The Russians' written with Michael Phillips. Another set of books was "The Stonewyck Legacy." which was three volumes in one. I look forward to ordering more of her books in the future.

My wife loves everything Judith Pella writes and watchs for a new books in the series. She can't put them down. I think she owns every books she has written and if not she soon will. So I can say for sure they are well worth reading.

Blair and Gary had became my favorite characters in this book and I just amazed how they fought to survive in the Philippines. Cameron was my second favorite and Jackie is my third. I had a hard time connecting with Jackie for some reasons. I believe any reader would be able to connect with some characters at some point that they can relate to their own life. I've never had to fight to survived in a jungle but I believe I was amazed with Blair and Gary because I know that could be my biggest weakness when it comes to my faith in God. I really felt like I was there with them. What a great book!

Blair lied, that's no great spoiler, but it is a bomb when it comes to her life. She follows her estranged husband, Gary, to the Phillipines to see if they can piece together their lives. Blair - the movie star, singer, actress - is soon gonna have to learn to rough it in the jungles but for now God's gently easing her into a harder life.

Cameron's still off chasing stories and falling in love. Yes, the practical one goes against all good sense for the sake of her heart. How troublingly romantic....and this is one romance bound to get her in big trouble. The poor woman will no doubt learn to hate telegrams as well...seems every other one she gets is another piece of fabric being ripped violently from her life.

Jacki's also in love. But the color of her love's skin will be big trouble for both of them. Doesn't matter that Sam is a bonafide American citizen. Being Japanese in America around this time in history is not so safe.

Throw in a few family disasters and such and it's all good.

I have to say I was a little skeptical about the 2nd book in the Daughters of Fortune series because I liked the first one so much! But it lived up to my expectations. I became completely involved with Blair's story this time. She was such a spoiled brat in the first one but I grew to like her. Being in the middle of a war sure changes peoples outlooks on life. I'm just hoping the 3rd one lives up to my expectations as well

World War Two is intensifying, America is devastated following the attack on Pearl Harbor, and the lives of the Hayes sisters are anything but unadventurous. After a brief return to the U.S. to visit her ailing father, Cameron is back to Russia. She attempts to perform her journalism duties with excellence, yet thoughts of her fractured relationship with former boyfriend Alex and doubts about her need for God fill her mind. Blair is desperate to prove to Gary that she is sorry for deceiving him and still loves him, and travels to the dangerously war-torn Philippines with hopes of finding her soldier husband and repairing their relationship. Jackie is still in her native California, very much in love with a Japanese American man yet afraid of what continuing their relationship will mean in the face of anti-Japanese hysteria. On three different continents, handling three explosive situations, each sister must face what lies ahead and maybe even learn to rely on God.

My sentiments about "Somewhere a Song" are similar to my feelings about its prequel. Undoubtedly, certain areas of this book were extremely strong. Above all, I loved the parts of this book involving Jackie and Sam (her boyfriend) and found them unique, thought provoking, inspiring, and romantic. Really, all of the "romantic" parts of the book are well done. Pella also wrote with skill about Cameron's "wrestle" with Christianity and did not attempt to solve it simply and quickly. Furthermore, a few insights into Keagan Hayes's (the girls' father) personality were extremely interesting. Finally, some of the history woven into the story was compelling. Thus, there are certainly some reasons to consider reading "Somewhere A Song."

However, once again problem areas "surface" throughout the book. As I suspected, the main focus of this book was Blair. Unfortunately, I found a good deal of the sections about Blair's Philippine adventure flat and unexciting. Blair doesn't have the charisma or intelligence of Cameron, or the sweetness of Jackie, so she herself was not a particularly fascinating character and descriptions of her trek across the Philippines seemed very repetitive. Pella also attempted to describe the horrors faced by Blair's husband as he battled in the jungles of the Philippines; these were in my opinion some of the most boring, confusing, and just plain "flat" sections of the book. I cannot exactly explain why I disliked much of the "Philippines part" of the book, it just lacked a certain "something." Basically, Blair's domination of the story line was simply unsuccessful.

I don't know, I'll probably read Book 3 in this series just because Jackie will be the main character in that book and so far I have loved Jackie. Historical parts of this series just don't seem up to par; and that is a major flaw. I keep wishing for historical fiction as compelling as Pella's "The Russians" series, and I just haven't found it much of the time with the "Daughters of Fortune" series.