No Greater Gift

When Grace Ryan returns to Richland, Wash., to help her Grandma Annie write a memoir about WWII, she arrives to find Annie being carted to an ambulance after suffering a severe heart attack. Before she dies, Annie hints at secrets of treason in the family's past, which is recorded in her journals. Grace and her grandmother's neighbor, Erik Petersson, a divorc%C3%A9 with his own troubles, search Annie's journals and find truths that could tear Grace's family apart. Morgan's combination of hidden wartime secrets and love is fascinating and absorbing. Unfortunately, the novel feels lopsided, as Annie has far more depth than her granddaughter; the many scenes from the journals reveal Annie's story but do little to move Grace's journey forward. Erik's storyline, although emotionally poignant, also draws the focus away from Grace. Despite the lack of attention paid to the book's supposed heroine, readers who love WWII historical fiction will be thrilled, as Annie's story makes for enthralling reading. (May)