by Caitlin Miller
‘Our Yellow Tape Letters’ is a touching story about a sister coming to terms with the loss of her brother, and the soldier who feels responsible for it. Set during and in the aftermath of WWII, it explores themes of grief, guilt and forgiveness.
“If I’ve learned anything about forgiveness, it’s this: it’s complicated. It’s a process, sometimes a really long one. But forgiving someone when you don’t mean it isn’t forgiving them at all."
This is such a unique and creative book! The narrative was told entirely through letters and notes. Caitlin is a very talented author. I enjoyed reading this story, getting to know the characters and learning more about history too. The ending was so sweet, but I won't spoil it!
My favourite characters were Ben and Sage. They really captured - and broke my heart. The two of them were different personality wise, but their love for those around them really shone through. They both had deep hurts and struggles, but when it came to helping a friend, they set that aside.
Lucy’s resentment after her brother’s death was very raw and real. Her character arc was very well written, especially the portrayal of how painful letting go of anger can be. Jeremiah was also a great character! His letters were the most immersing for me.
“I’m learning that forgiveness will take my heart from a graveyard to a garden—from a place of death to a place of life. Where things can grow and heal.”
The letter format was interesting, but it made me feel a bit more distanced from the narrative. The writing style felt slightly more like what I’d expect in a contemporary YA novel, including some of the terms used. It's just not what I'm used to in WW2 books, but I don't mind reading new things.
I appreciated that Caitlin did her historical research for the events mentioned. Little things, like ensuring that weekdays mentioned were accurate to the dates on the letters. There were lots of references to movies from the time period as well, which was neat!
If you like historical fiction, I’d definitely recommend it. My full review is up on Goodreads.
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