About the Book

Thomas Fletcher first sees her in 1916, at a drug store in Birmingham, Alabama. He doesn’t know her, but her brown hair and beautiful eyes captivate him. He soon learns her name—Juliette Wilcox—and she would learn his. Their attraction cannot be denied, but something stands in their way. Thomas is a drafted soldier, about to be sent to Europe to fight in the dreaded World War I. Although Juliette begs for them to be married before he goes to boot camp, he doesn’t want to leave her a widow. Their letters will keep them close. Letters are all they will have until he returns from the battlefield—hopefully, alive. For the next four years, letters arrive from far off France and Germany to Juliette’s front porch in Alabama. For the next four years, their love grows, develops, and increases. Even so, war is a dark force, and many men never return. Will Thomas be one of the soldiers lost, or will he come home and make Juliette’s dreams of marriage a happy reality.

Features & Details

About the Author

MARGIE HOWD HOLDS: A bachelor’s degree in sociology with a minor in drama and speech from the University of Evansville. The daughter of a Methodist minister, Howd grew up singing in church. For years, she was a professional singer with the all-female group “The Choral Connection,” performing in Indiana, southern Illinois, and western Kentucky. She also sang with the Charlotte Chorale in Port Charlotte, Florida, for two years. From 1983 to 1995, she and her first husband were co-owners of ERA Steve Thompson Realty. Mr Thompson passed away in 1995, the company was then closed. Now retired she and her husband Jim Howd just celebrated 21 years of marriage. Between them they have four children, eleven grandchildren and five great grandchildren with a six great grandchild due in July of 2018. They look forward to many more years of love and laughter. Writing a novel has always been a dream for Howd and was on her “bucket list” for years. She found her subject matter in a set of love letters her grandfather wrote to her grandmother while he served in World War I. Love Letters from a Doughboy has truly been a labor of love. This is Howd’s first novel.