Many Shades of Blue

Book excerpt: It is 1960 in Skowhegan, Maine. Libby Carlow is a precocious and curious sixteen-year-old who often wonders why she looks different than everyone else in her family. When an unexpected trip to Texas prompts Libby to meet an uncle she never knew existed, she has no idea of what lies ahead. It is soon revealed that Libby’s uncle Earle was a pilot, shot down during the Second World War and eluded capture by the Germans. As the reader is transported back to1944, Earle offers insight into his perilous journey over the Pyrenees, draws attention to the bravery of the men and women of the French Resistance, and highlights the heroism and friendships that existed among those missing in action, resistance fighters, locals, and within the Catholic Church. But it is not until tragedy strikes that the truth is finally revealed to Libby about her true identity. Many Shades of Blue is the extraordinary story of an American pilot’s experiences during the Second World War as the past collides with the present and answers a young woman’s questions about her birth.