This was an unusually quick read for me. At first I was annoyed with the main character, Rebekah because at the age of nneteen, she seemed unbelievably naive to think that her suitor, Arthur was willing to marry him and her motivation seemed to be to get away from her controlling mother.

She wanted adventure and travel and knew she could not get that at home being a spinster or by marrying the man her mother picked out.

I did like that the story was set in 1918 at the time of the Great War and the Great Influenza Epidemic of 1918. There was miminal information about the Great War, that did not bother me but the concentrated on the effect of the Epidemic for her own family after she acceoted the request by aunt to mother to help nurse her back to health. Rebekah was shocked to find that her aunt had been taking of four children ages 9 years to a few months. Finding out that the home was not her aunt's but her aunt's friend and then having her aunt die quickly after she came, she was suddenly plunged into taking care of the children. Their mother had died and their father was off to war.

It was good to see how she managed by herself and it was natural that sje grew to love the children and look out for them.

I loved her life with the children the best but bewildered at her not knowing her first suiter better and I was fine with her decision with the
second suitor. Then it came to deciding what to do when th children's father came home. I felt there needed to be more development. I did not know her final decision until the last few pages. I felt the ending was very abrupt. I will read another book by her and hope that there is no quick ending/ ( )

Historical women’s fiction is not new to me, but usually I’ve read books set in England. This is the first time I read one set in America during the First World War.

Read more here: http://from7eight.com/wings-of-a-dream/ ( )

NCLA Review: What is happening in the life of a 19 year old Oklahoma farm girl in the early 1900s when America is fighting in France? Dreaming of adventure and desiring to escape the confines of the life she has always known, Rebekah is thrown a curveball. She finds herself in another distant farm community caring for an Aunt she barely remembers. Much to her surprise, she is immediately launched into the role of instant mother to four very young children. WINGS OF A DREAM manages to make you smile, while at the same time gets your dander up. Will Rebekah hear God’s voice and follow where He directs? Will she be able to discern the difference between her desires and God’s wishes? Does she truly know what she wants most in life? Ms. Mateer offers several twists and turns and keeps you turning the pages to the very end. Rating: 4 —PL ( )

I loved it!

I’m not a big historical fan but I was hooked from the beginning. Anne drew me in with real characters and a compelling story.

Rebekah Hendricks yearns to live a life of adventure, far from her small Oklahoma hometown. She and a visiting young aviator plan a soaring future. Arthur returns to his air field in Texas and Rebekah’s presence is also needed in Texas: to tend to her ailing aunt. Arriving just before her aunt dies of the Spanish Influenza, Rebekah finds herself with her aunt’s four young motherless charges to care for. Their father is off fighting in World War I. Rebekah’s heart and emotions careen like a panicked horse when Arthur’s plans diverge from hers. The local sheriff comes calling. Then the children’s father returns. Should Rebekah follow her dreams or her heart?

Set in 1918 and 1919, I felt Anne Mateer really made the era come alive. Whether people are battling Spanish Influenza or Swine Flu, World War I or Desert Storm, hearts and human nature are much the same.

I’m so pleased to be able to highly recommend Wings of a Dream. Let me know what you think!

Disclaimer: I know Anne personally and I was furnished a copy of Wings of a Dream for review purposes, but neither factor influenced my review and recommendation. They just made my life a little easier.