Save My Place by
Oliva deBelle Byrd is a heartwarming and heart wrenching love story set in
1960s and 1970s. It was recently honored with two Gold Medals in Florida
Fiction for Adults and Cover Design by the Florida Presidents Book Awards. It
is the story of love through various stages of courtship, marriage, war, and
personal tragedy.
The story opens with Elisabeth Belle Sterling, a young
college student who is “creative, independent but not rebellious.” She begins
to enter the dating scene and after a lot of misses, she feel she’s doomed to
be an old maid. Until she meets Kincaid Patterson, an Army buddy of her roommate’s
boyfriend. The two immediately hit it off and before they know it, they are
married and settling into life together. He is stationed at Fort Banning and
she becomes a second grade teacher. Soon their wonderful life is halted as
Kincaid is deployed to Vietnam. Before he leaves, Kincaid tells Elisabeth to
“save his place.” She ends her letters to him with “your place is saved.” Will
Kincaid return home? Will Elisabeth be able to learn to live without him?
I loved this book. It was sweet and tender. It had shocking
moments when you gasped and hoped for a positive outcome. I can’t give more
without ruining the entire book but there are moments when you cry and your
heart aches for the characters as they deal with different tragedies. I
especially loved the ending. It showed a great loved between these characters
and I can imagine them living today still hand-in-hand. I highly recommend Save My Place. It definitely has a place
on my keeper shelf.
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