The Magic of Ordinary Days: A Novel

The main character, Lizzy, didn't appeal, and I think that impacted my review of this book. Lizzy lived in Denver, the daughter of a preacher. The timeframe was in the middle of World War 2. She had two sisters, who didn't play a very major role, other than being compared as more beautiful, to less beautiful but okay-looking Lizzy. After meeting a young G.I. she believes she's in love with, she has a one-night stand with him before he ships out. Lizzy's preacher dad is mortified, and contacts another minister friend, to help arrange a marriage and save the reputation of the family. Before long, she is sent-off to marry a bachelor farmer, Ray, who lives on his family farm - his mother and father, as well as his younger brother are gone - the latter, a casualty of Pearl Harbor. After the marriage and to occupy herself, Lizzy befriends two Japanese American workers who are housed in a nearby interment camp, having been re-located there from California. Meanwhile, on the marriage front, Lizzy staves off Ray's shy advances, because she doesn't love Ray, and feels she still is there temporarily and will move on when she can get the chance. She thinks she'll be a world famous archeologist, out to the see the world. And feels stuck in this remote plains wilderness. Whatever!! What I didn't really dig about Lizzy, was her selfishness and immaturity - whereas, Ray was quietly growing on me as the grounded one, who had open arms and heart where Lizzy was concerned. Ray's older sister, Margaret, was also a wonderful character, accepting Lizzy into the family, despite the wedding of convenience, marrying Ray. Back to the Japanese American girls, Lizzy gets into unexpected trouble with them as she unintentionally enables a traitorous escape by German POW soldiers they are in love with (the POW camp is near the internment camp), with the escape orchestrated by the girls. Lizzy has no clue. I almost feel as if this whole part of the story could have been left out entirely, unless it was to illustrate the stupidity and immaturity of all three young women. In the end, Lizzy receives no consequences, whereas the Japanese American girls do. The baby arrives eventually, and Lizzy seems to accept Ray as her husband and grow-up. But I can't say this book is one I'll remember, given my irritation at the main character for making stupid decisions. She landed on her feet pretty well, despite inauspicious beginnings.

For me this book just speaks summer. This was my 3rd time reading it. Ray really sticks out to me as an example of a true hard working man/husbsnf. He is very gently with Lizzy who keeps her distance from him. Some of her zigzaging thoughts got a little annoying, but WW2 was a time of many unknowns.