Saving Grace: A Novel (Healing Ruby Book 3)
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The End
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Author’s Note
In my efforts to create a fictional story that takes place during an actual historic event, I did a great deal of research into the events that occurred on the Philippine Islands during the time period leading up to and during the invasion by Japan. I’ve done my very best to keep this fictional story as close to the actual events as possible, as well as reflect the courage of the men and women who suffered greatly during this time. There were a few occasions where I combined several events into one, or altered the event slightly for the sake of keeping the story moving along in a succinct manner. For example, there were two jungle hospitals set up on Bataan, Hospital #1 and Hospital #2. I chose to have Ruby located at Hospital #2 because its setup and location provided the best stage for the story I wanted to tell. However, I’ve included one or two events that actually happened at Hospital #1 (such as the direct bombing of the hospital that killed Joseph). I also altered the escape of the nurses and personnel from Corregidor in order to fit in some story elements that were needed in order to wrap things up. In the actual escape from Corregidor, the evacuees flew to Mindanao rather than traveling by boat. One group was in fact left behind on Mindanao because of a hole in the plane. However, the plane that did take off was not under direct fire at the time. I hope the reader will understand and forgive any slight altering of history.
If you’ve found this story intriguing, I encourage you to read any of the number of non-fiction books out there detailing the actual events that took place. I have included the ones I found most helpful in my research in a recommended reading section following this note. I am in awe of the nurses on Bataan, often referred to as the Angels of Bataan. Their selfless acts of heroism were in simply doing their job every day no matter what trials they faced. And I doubt you could find even one of them that would have considered themselves to be heroic. I have tried to capture as much of that spirit as possible within this story. I have come to a newfound admiration for nurses through my research. This is a group of people committed to pouring themselves out for others, people who often go unnoticed and receive very little thanks. They deserve our gratitude.
Lastly, I want to thank all the men and women who have served in the armed forces in any capacity. I am in awe of what my fellow citizens have done so that my family and I can sleep safely in our beds at night. They deserve our gratitude and our prayers. May God bless them and keep them.
Recommended Reading
The titles below aided me greatly in my research of the events leading up to and during the attack on the Philippines. There are many, many more books available that I simply don’t have the room to list. If you’re looking for stories to amaze you, this is a great beginning.
We Band of Angels by Elizabeth M. Norman
Bataan: A Survivor’s Story by Lt. Gene Boyt with David L. Burch
Resolve by Bob Welch
Tears in the Darkness by Michael Norman and Elizabeth M. Norman
Undefeated: America’s Heroic Fight for Bataan and Corregidor by Bill Sloan
Escape from Corregidor by Edgar D. Whitcomb
More titles from
Jennifer H. Westall
Acknowledgements
As always, I must first thank my family for their support and encouragement. My kids try to keep the guilt trips to a minimum, only occasionally implying that I love writing more than I love them. My husband has been a real trooper, taking them on outings and keeping them busy so I could bang away at my computer. I’m forever grateful.
I have to once again sing the praises of my amazing editor, Bryony Sutherland, who knows my heart and encourages me through every panicked email filled with self-doubt. And I owe so much thanks to my beautiful cousin, Amy Hobbs, who has once again created a cover I can’t stop admiring. Thanks also goes to my cousin Morgan Kimbrough for letting me dress her up so that Amy could take her picture over and over. She has now posed for two covers in the Healing Ruby series, and she makes such an amazing “Ruby.”
I also want to thank the enthusiastic readers who continue to email me or send me messages through Facebook. You’ve all become such an encouragement to me, and I love interacting with all of you. I have to personally thank those of you who volunteered your time to help comb through the early manuscript for errors and typos: Elaine Ream, Charmaine Fray, Rose Kooi, Rebecca Kolb, Loretta Phillips, Donna Dvorshock, Lanell Harrington, Lucy Harvey, Jaime Chapman, Melissa Billiot, Beth Poly, April McAnally, Dana Gray, Melody Reynolds, Melisa Sanford, Karen Richards, Elaina Sharron, Judy Juenger, Tammy Collins, Tanya Hays, Rebecca Spencer, Marie Kohl, Beverly Welsh, Lucy Flenner, Kris Gillen, and Barbara Bennett. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!
And most importantly, I must give thanks to God for His inspiration and comfort through all my self-doubt and fear. It’s still amazing to look through a story I’ve written and see His hand throughout. I’m so grateful He called me to writing.
About the Author
Jennifer Westall loves writing Christian fiction as a way of exploring her own faith journey. Saving Grace (2016) is the third installment in the Healing Ruby series, the first of which was inspired by events in the life of her grandmother and explores the mysteries of faith healing. She's also the author of Love's Providence (2012), a contemporary Christian romance novel that navigates the minefield of dating and temptation. She resides in northern Virginia with her husband and two boys, where she homeschools by day and writes by night, thus explaining those pesky bags under her eyes. Readers can connect with her at jenniferhwestall.com or find her on Facebook and Twitter.