On Wings of Devotion (The Codebreakers)
In 1918 London, nurse Arabelle Denler tries to ignore her loneliness by immersing herself into her war work. Her father, an intrepid explorer, is rarely home and often neglectful when he is. But, when he befriends Phillip Camden, the “black heart,” who let his entire squadron die, Ara begins to glimpse a chance for companionship in an unlikely person.
Phillip is sure he will never move on from his biggest mistake, and the daily threats he receives don’t encourage him to seek salvation or redemption. He often wishes he had died with his squadron, rather than having been reassigned as a codebreaker. His budding friendship with Mr. Denler and his daughter, Arabelle, soon become a bright spot in his dark days. He begins to care for Ara a bit more than he should, knowing he can only bring her despair and destruction. And when the worst comes to fruition, and he is arrested for his “crimes,” Phillip knows he can never give Ara his heart.
This is the second novel in White’s new Codebreaker series, but reading the first is not necessary to enjoy this one. With her usual skill intertwining Christian elements, romance, and interpersonal conflict, On Wings of Devotion will delight fans of White’s work. The storyline, while a bit dramatic and far-fetched, is nevertheless full of delightful characters. While more detail on Ara’s nursing work and Phillip’s codebreaking job would have been nice, a side story about a German spy does add a nice historical twist to this mainly romantic drama. Recommended.
