Wide Place in the Road: A Great Generation Love Story
Book Details
Author(s)Kirkland, Richard C.
ISBN / ASIN1463649347
ISBN-139781463649340
AvailabilityIn Stock.
Sales Rank588,612
MarketplaceUnited States 🇺🇸
Description
Wide Place in the Road protagonist Jessie Rascoe, a resourceful Boy Scout, lives in a small rural community in California's Tehachappi Mountains. The discovery of girls at their one room school brings a change in priorities for Jessie and his friends. Beautiful Hallie Lamont, the ranch owners daughter, plays with Jessie's emotions, But Maria, the dark eyed mountain girl, captures his heart. Later at college, Peggy, an older girl, teaches him the ways of love. Pearl Harbor changes everything: Hallie becomes a WASP (Women's Army Service Pilot) Maria works in an aircraft factory, Jessie's best friend, Alvin, is killed at Pearl Harbor and Jessie quits college and becomes an Army fighter pilot. After a disasterous first mission in the South Pacific, Jessie excels in aerial combat and is awarded the Medal of Honor by President Roosevelt.  Â

On leave to accept his medal, he is reunited with both Hallie and Maria. Emotions sizzle, but Jessie must return to combat where he is shot down and reported killed in action. Tenacious and determined, Jessie survives malaria and cannibals in the New Guinea jungle and eventually escapes to an isolated Catholic mission. But his sanctuary is tenuous since the mission is under Japanese surveillance. Realizing escape is impossible, he settles into missionary life which becomes complicated when Stephanie, a young missionary, falls in love. She is subsequently taken hostage by the Japanese and for the following two years Jessie remains at the mission and paints a panorama of native life using raw jungle materials. When the war is finally over he finds that sweet Stephanie was executed. As he gazes out the airplane window on his long flight home, Jessie wonders what awaits him...Who awaits him?... Maria...Hallie...Anyone? The ending is powerful.

On leave to accept his medal, he is reunited with both Hallie and Maria. Emotions sizzle, but Jessie must return to combat where he is shot down and reported killed in action. Tenacious and determined, Jessie survives malaria and cannibals in the New Guinea jungle and eventually escapes to an isolated Catholic mission. But his sanctuary is tenuous since the mission is under Japanese surveillance. Realizing escape is impossible, he settles into missionary life which becomes complicated when Stephanie, a young missionary, falls in love. She is subsequently taken hostage by the Japanese and for the following two years Jessie remains at the mission and paints a panorama of native life using raw jungle materials. When the war is finally over he finds that sweet Stephanie was executed. As he gazes out the airplane window on his long flight home, Jessie wonders what awaits him...Who awaits him?... Maria...Hallie...Anyone? The ending is powerful.
