Review: The Bungalow by Sarah Jio

In The Bungalow by Sarah Jio, readers are swept off to Bora Bora during World War II. Anne Calloway, a daughter of privilege living in Seattle, is bored with her well defined life and is looking for some excitement and the chance to step outside the expectations to which she has always lived up. So, despite her upcoming nuptials, she volunteers for the war with her friend Kitty. As they head off to Bora Bora, they don't know what they will find but are excited by the prospect of new experiences and a more exotic life than they had in Seattle. Of course, along with the exotic life, they also find heartache and experience loss. Now, almost seventy years later, Anne is reflecting on her time in Bora Bora and trying to unravel some lingering mysteries about her time there.

 Anne Calloway's granddaughter finds a postcard from Bora Bora in her grandmother's belongings and it prompts a conversation about her grandmother's war time service - it is a period about which Anne has spoken very little. Anne reflects on her time in the tropics and is surprised to see she still has feelings for Westry - the soldier she fell in love with while in Bora Bora. The two had discovered a bungalow on a beach near the base and made it into a love nest where they would sneak away from the prying eyes of their friends and co-workers as they tried to keep their relationship a secret. Anne's memories are filled with images of she and Westry together in the bungalow, leaving notes for each other in a hiding spot under the floorboards and tentatively making plans for after the war. Circumstances intervened, however, and now Anne wonders about Westry and where he is now. She also wonders about Kitty - she and Kitty had argued when they last saw each other and despite their once strong friendship, they had not spoken since the war.

  My Thoughts

 I started this book while on a plane and was immediately drawn into Anne's story and the beautifully described scenes from the tropics. I certainly felt swept away. The passion between Westry and Anne was palpable and I anxiously turned pages to see what would come to them next. I also appreciated the bit of murder mystery thrown in because that also kept the story moving and added another dimension to what would have otherwise been just a love story. There were some loose ends tied up in the end in a way that felt too pat and hard to believe but the criticism feels minor for a book that introduced me to great characters and the beautiful island of Bora Bora. I am looking forward to reading the author's other novels and being swept away once again.