Monsters and Men — E.M. Lindsey

The sequel to Time and Tide, by E.M. Lindsey

“Sometimes the war created monsters out of men, and sometimes men from the monsters. Sometimes that line between the two was blurry and difficult to tell which was which, but no matter how it turned out, there was always hope.”

August Owens was born as the world recovered from the First World War. Labeled strange and inclined to the immoral, he suffers at the hands of vicious prejudice against the men who raised his father. By four he learned the meaning of the word abomination, and by ten he knew because of his differences, he would never have unconditional love from his mother.

When things come crumbling down, August is whisked across the United States by his father, Noah, to live with his grandfathers where he can truly feel at home. But that peace and love comes with a price. Heavy loss and injury plagues his young teenage life, and he's forced to navigate the world with a violent scar across his face, and never-ending looks of pity.

Then comes the Second World War, and everything changes. Half-blind and left for dead on the shores of Omaha Beach, August is taken in by Frenchman with a past full of shadows. As he's nursed back to health, August learns to accept that he deserves to be seen for who he is, and not for the scars he bears.