As the Pacific War looms ever closer to Australia, will waiting and wondering break two women's hearts?
September 1939. Sophie Parker nursed wounded soldiers in France during the Great War. She knows the physical and mental devastation war can wreak on hearts, minds, and bodies. When WWII breaks out, and Australia is called to join the effort, Sophie knows all too well what her sons will face when they enlist to fly and fight.
Marianne Ryan grew up in a French town battered by the Germans during the Great War. But while she spends WWII in Sydney, far from her home and family in occupied France, the new love she never expected to find could break her heart beyond repair.
With the war looming ever closer to Australia, Sophie and Marianne must watch and wait as the Japanese cut a swath through the Pacific. Can the two women be as courageous as the men they love?
As they are in all wars, the women who wait at home must be the bravest soldiers.
The Bravest Soldiers is the next chapter of romance, love, and longing in the Parker – Ryan family story begun in Dare Not Tell, but can be read as a standalone.
Winner - 2023 American Writing Awards Historical Fiction & Historical Romance
Winner - 2023 BREW Project 20th Century Historical Romance award
Finalist - 2024 CIBA Hemingway Awards 20th Century Wartime Fiction
"Though World War II novels are commonplace, Schroller has managed to write an affecting tale with memorable characters that stands out from the crowd. A rich and moving saga of bravery both at home and in the face of battle." —Kirkus Reviews
"A sweeping portrait of life on the Australian home front during the second World War." —The BookLife Prize by Publisher's Weekly
"A compelling story told with insight and understanding... Wonderfully awash in the early twentieth century atmosphere, this hard-to-put-down historical tale is a must-read." —The Prairies Book Review