Book Review: Love's Journey by James W. Rozendaal

Reviewed by Marcia Zimmerman

Love’s Journey is a tender recalling of what it was like to grow up and fall in love in the 1950’s. The author vividly recalls common frustrations for young lovers, such as having phone calls interrupted by a telephone operator warning that three minutes have passed and time is up. It was a simpler time and the lead characters, Allison and Tommy, are larger than life – heroes even.

This model couple struggle to maintain their relationship as their lives are upended by the Korean War. All young men of that era were required to register for the draft and were likely to wind up serving overseas if classified as 1A, which most were. Some never returned. Allison and Tommy’s marriage plans were put on hold when he was drafted and shipped to Korea. Life after Tommy returned home was uncertain, due to his war-sustained injuries that prevented him from pursuing a professional athletic career.

The story embraces a Romeo and Juliet intrigue as these offspring of Dutch (Tommy) and Swedish (Allison) families are expected to marry within their respective churches in the small Iowa town where they grew up. Thus the couple must face off with their stubborn fathers in order to marry.

The rich description of the characters’ thoughts and dialogue keeps readers intrigued. It is easy to imagine being there and enduring all the joys, triumphs and sorrows in the lives of the characters. Love’s Journey is easy to read and uncomplicated – providing an excellent opportunity for younger readers to experience what it was like to grow up in their grandparents’ era. The story provides excellent fodder for a movie script.

Marcia Zimmerman is the best selling author of seven books on health and nutrition.