Dawn of Valor

by: Lindsay McKenna
Genre: Korean War Romance
Grade: B

Rachel Mckenzie is a surgical nurse whose MASH unit sits on the very edge of the battle torn line between North and South Korea. When her unit is overrun she is taken prisoner, a fact that has the military in uproar. Bad enough to let some of their doctors get taken but to lose one of the few women they had was the equivalent of a public relations nightmare. Immediately, Chase Trayhern and his squadron are ordered to bomb the convoy the prisoners are in and create a diversion for their escape. It works beautifully accept that Chase is hit and forced to parachute to safety. It turns out not to work quite that way since he lands behind enemy lines and hits his head on the way down. Rachel finds him, does some quick first aid and the two begin a trek towards freedom -- and love.

Rachel is a mix of strength and innocence. Raised to think that "good girls don't" (typical I think for her era) and experience has taught her that pilots tend to be after only one thing. While her competence in the wild and in the surgery can't be questioned, it is clear she is very inexperienced when it comes to men and love. This sets the basis for some of the difficulties she and Chase encounter on the way to the altar.

Chase for his part loves Rachel's inexperience and naivete but struggles to come to grips with her independence at work and most especially, with her comfort at being a part of the war. Convinced women belong at home his only goal is to get her to safety and back to the states. Her goal is to reach her unit and continue to make a difference in the lives of the men fighting this war.

I was surprised that Chase didn't admire what Rachel was doing more. There was, apparently, a shortage of nurses during this war and I would have thought he would admire all Rachel had done for him and for others just by being there. On the other hand, Rachel's naivete had to be enough to try the patience of a saint (which Chase definitely wasn't). But in spite of these quibbles I really enjoyed the book. My one regret was not getting a more vivid description of Korea. Still, you get a good idea of what the battles were like for the fighting men and women.

Tea: Here is a link about a Korean Tea Ceremony http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_tea_ceremony