The Soldier and the Rose

by Linda Barrett

Book Overview

Her Joe. Killed during the Second World War.Rose Kaufman thought she'd never stop grieving. He died without even seeing his baby daughter. But Charlie Shapiro, Joe's war buddy, didn't die. He came... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0373654219
• ISBN13: 9780373654215
• Release Date: October 2007
• Publisher: Harlequin Special Releases
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 0.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 4.2" x 6.6"

Customer Reviews

Like a stroll down memory lane.

The book begins in Long Island, 2007, with Rose and Charlie. They have been married sixty years. They sit at a table, with a box of memorabilia opened in front of them, reminiscing with their daughter, Susan, and Paul, Susan's husband. Part One begins in Brooklyn, the early 1940's. Rose has been married to Joseph Rabinowitz for only six months before he is deployed to Germany. Money is tight with everyone. World War II is in full swing. Hitler is doing his worst and the American soldiers are battling for freedom. It is not long before Joe learns that Rose is pregnant. Joe is to be a daddy! His buddies are thrilled for him. The soldiers make a pact together. Should one of them die, the survivors would contact the family of the fallen soldier and attest to his quick death on the battlefield. An instant ending. No pain and no suffering - regardless of the truth. Joe is one of the soldiers killed during battle. One of his war buddies who happens to live in Brooklyn, Charlie Shapiro, makes it home. Charlie had spent time as a POW in Germany. Like the other soldiers, Charlie seldom, if ever, spoke about his time over seas. Once Charlie gained enough weight and strength back, he went to visit Rose and her daughter, Susan. Charlie falls in love with Rose and Susan, but Rose is still grieving. Yet Charlie convinces Rose to marry him anyway. Part Two is in Queens, the 1950's. Rose and Charlie have been married five years. Part Three is in Long Island, the 1960's. Kennedy has just been assassinated. The main focus is still Rose and Charlie, but more and more scenes are with an adult Susan and her two siblings. Throughout the years, Rose has written Joe, one or two notes per year, about Susan and her second family's lives. Charlie still wonders if Joe still comes first in Rose's life. It is a question only Rose can answer. ***** The entire story is told within the space of a few hours, on a single night, by Rose and Charlie to Susan and Paul. However, the reader watches the events as they unfold for Rose and Charlie. Told in such vivid details, I felt as though I were there. This tale is absolutely perfect for a made-for-TV movie! Keep the tissues handy. This author will touch, if not play with, your heart strings. ***** Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

engaging relationship drama

During World War II, Rose Kaufman's beloved spouse Joe died in combat without once seeing his daughter, born after he left to go overseas. His friend Charlie Shapiro survived war physically, but struggles emotionally. He had vowed to his brother in arms that if Joe died and he lived, he would visit Rose when he returned to Brooklyn to tell her he loved her. However, Charlie soon knows he loves Rose and Joe's daughter; although he assumes she does not return his feelings, Charlie persuades Rose to marry him, which she does. In the present history repeats itself as their granddaughter Liz is expecting a child while her spouse Matt is in Iraq. This, as they celebrate the sixtieth anniversary of their marriage, leads Rose and Charlie to reflect on their life together. He believes his cherished wife never loved him as he could never compete with the ghost of Joe although in truth he never wanted to as Joe was his buddy. This engaging relationship drama contains two strong lead characters and an incredibly developed support cast, mostly family members. Charlie's muse of loving his wife for sixty years through not believing she returned his feelings and Rose's thoughts on how she feels about her caring second husband and her first A Guy Named Joe make for a deep character study. Although the action is limited, fans who appreciate a deep introspective tale will enjoy the SOLDIER AND THE ROSE. Harriet Klausner

THE SOLDIER AND THE ROSE by Linda Barrett

Linda Barrett's THE SOLDIER AND THE ROSE is a heartwarming love story and family saga spanning a period of over sixty years beginning in World War II and ending in the present day. Rose Kaufman married Joe Rabinowitz on December 7, 1941. They enjoyed six glorious months together before he was shipped overseas. She wrote many letters to Joe over the course of the war, announcing her pregnancy, recounting the milestones in baby Susan's life, and always professing her love for Joe. Charlie Shapiro was under Joe's command during the war. Joe shared Rose's letters with his men, and most of them grew to love her--Charlie included. Charlie was with Joe when he was killed. After the war ends, Charlie visits Rose and falls more deeply in love with her and her daughter. To help Rose out of a difficult situation, he offers a marriage of convenience, knowing she still grieves for Joe. Can Rose find a place in her heart for Charlie? Or will Charlie have to live with Joe's ghost for the rest of his life? THE SOLDIER AND THE ROSE is a captivating tale with a large ensemble of endearing characters. The story is woven around Rose and Charlie preparing to celebrate their sixtieth wedding anniversary. We know they have a long-enduring marriage. We know they love one another deeply. But how did they overcome the obstacles standing in their way? With the finesse of a Hollywood director, Ms. Barrett flawlessly uses flashbacks and the letters written by Rose to her dead husband, to propel the reader back and forth through time, making the story richly layered and textured, both in the past and the present. THE SOLDIER AND THE ROSE is an outstanding work of fiction, with a fresh and unique presentation. I was so invested in the characters' lives, I truly didn't want the story to end. When I finished the book, I immediately read it again from first page to last--something I've never done before. I highly recommend this soul-stirring book.