Welcome to the Christian Fiction Scavenger Hunt! If you’ve just discovered the hunt, be sure to start at Stop #1, and collect the clues through all 27 stops, in order, so you can enter to win one of our top 5 grand prizes!

  • The hunt BEGINS on 3/14 at noon MST with Stop #1 at LisaTawnBergren.com.
  • Hunt through our loop using Chrome or Firefox as your browser (not Explorer).
  • There is NO RUSH to complete the hunt—you have all weekend (until Sunday, 3/17 at midnight MST)! So take your time, reading the unique posts along the way; our hope is that you discover new authors/new books and learn new things about them.
  • Submit your entry for the grand prizes by collecting the CLUE on each author’s scavenger hunt post and submitting your answer in the Rafflecopter form at Stop #27. Many authors are offering additional prizes along the way!

I’m so honored to be hosting the amazing Sarah Sundin! Sarah is a prolific writer of WW2 fiction, and I’ve been reading her books for years. Not only is she a fabulous story teller, however, she’s also a genuinely lovely person. I’ve met her a few times at various conferences and chatted via email, and I can’t wait to share some information about her latest book, The Sky Above Us!

Burdened by his past, fighter pilot Lt. Adler Paxton battles the
Luftwaffe over Nazi-occupied Europe as the Allies struggle for control
of the air before D-day. Deprived of her missionary dreams, Violet
Lindstrom serves in the Red Cross, where she arranges activities at
Adler’s air base in England. Love blooms, but D-day draws near . . . and
secrets can’t stay buried forever.

 And now without further ado, here’s Sarah!

A Donut and a Smile—Life in the Red Cross in World War II
American Red Cross worker serves coffee and doughnuts to members of the 379th Bomb Group at an improvised refreshment stand in England, 5 January 1944 (Source: US National Archives)

The women of the World War II era fascinate us—with good reason! In The Sky Above Us, I highlighted the American Red Cross workers who ran Aeroclub recreational clubs at US airfields around England.

By February 1945, the American Red Cross in England ran 162 Aeroclubs (at airfields), Fleet Clubs (naval bases), Camp Clubs (Army bases), and Donut Dugouts (training bases).

The Aeroclubs gave the men a homey place to relax from the pressures of war. In each Aeroclub, the Red Cross ran a snack bar, writing room, library, game room, and lounge. They arranged dances and recreational activities from Ping-Pong tournaments to lecture series. When the airmen returned from combat missions, the Red Cross served donuts, coffee, and sandwiches.



Sign for an American Red Cross Donut Dugout in World War II, Utah Beach D-Day Museum, Sainte Marie du Mont, France, September 2017 (Photo: Sarah Sundin)  

Each Aeroclub was run by one to three ARC women, who were paid civilian workers. The Red Cross hired British women and recruited volunteers to staff the clubs, and they negotiated with Army departments and British ministries to obtain equipment, food, and coal.


The women who served overseas with the American Red Cross had to be at least twenty-five and have a college degree. They were chosen for their leadership skills and for their willingness to work in difficult and dangerous conditions. Since Allied airfields were legitimate targets for German bombers, the threat was real.


Poster for the American Red Cross in World War II (public domain)



Although the official hours of the Aeroclub were usually 3 pm until midnight, the doors were always open. The Red Cross girls woke early to start preparations—and stayed up past closing. The women reported working six to seven days a week. Definitely long and hard hours! 

Despite the difficulties, the average Red Cross worker loved her job! Not only was it adventurous, but she was providing services that helped the flyboys fight another day. Very rewarding!



About Sarah





Sarah Sundin is the bestselling author of historical novels, including The Sea Before Us and The Sky Above Us. Her novels When Tides Turn and Through Waters Deep were named to Booklist’s “101 Best Romance Novels of the Last 10 Years,” and Through Waters Deep was a finalist for the 2016 Carol Award and won the INSPY Award. A mother of three, Sarah lives in California. Please visit her at www.sarahsundin.com, on Facebook at @SarahSundinAuthor, and on Twitter at @sarahsundin.


Here’s the Stop #17 Skinny:

 
You can order Sarah’s book on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, CBD or at your local bookstore!

Clue to Write Down: their

Link to Stop #18, the Next Stop on the Loop: Sarah Sundin’s own site!  

And of course, I can’t let you go without a giveaway! As you saw on stop #16, I’m featuring The Number of Love in this hunt, and though the book isn’t out quite yet, as soon it is, I’ll be sending a signed copy to one reader!





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