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What an unforgettable book! Hold Strong is one of those rare novels that grips your heart from page one and doesn’t let go. Based on true events, it’s both a sweeping love story and a harrowing survival tale set against the darkest days of World War II.
Sam Carlson, a small-town Minnesota projectionist turned soldier, endures the unimaginable—from the Bataan Death March to the horrors of Japanese POW camps. Meanwhile, his sweetheart Sarah Haber uses her brilliant math skills to become a wartime codebreaker in Washington, D.C. Their paths are worlds apart, yet fate ties them together in one of the most shocking and tragic episodes of the war.
The authors bring breathtaking realism to both fronts—the brutality of the Pacific theater and the high-stakes work of Allied cryptographers—while never losing sight of the human story at its core. Sam and Sarah’s resilience, courage, and devotion to each other shine through every chapter.
The author’s note is just as impactful as the novel itself, shedding light on staggering statistics—including the devastating toll of friendly fire in the Pacific—that deepen the reader’s understanding of this chapter in history.
This novel is not just history on the page; it’s a deeply human reminder of faith, endurance, and love that outlasts even the worst of times. A triumph of storytelling and a must-read for historical fiction fans.