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Terri Wangard has been a guest on this blog multiple times, primarily for her World War I and II novels and their unique settings. Those settings include Wisconsin, Sweden, Brazil, and Iceland. 

Terri’s latest World War II novel, Listen for the Chickadees, is set in Hawaii and the Pacific.

Check out the previous blog posts here:

• May 17, 2022—The Storm Breaks Forth (World War I)
• Mary 24, 2022—Friends & Enemies and all three novels in the Promise of Tomorrow series
• April 16, 2024—Seashells in My Pocket (Unsung Stories of World War II Book 1–set in Brazil)
• August 6, 2025—No Leaves in Autumn (Unsung Stories of World War II Book 2–set in Iceland)

Her Promise for Tomorrow series consists of:

• Friends & Enemies, set primarily in England and rural Germany, relayed by an American navigator of a bomber and a native German young woman
• No Neutral Ground, set primarily in Stockholm, Sweden, featuring a native German with some Jewish ancestry fighting for America, and an American artist working for the U.S.’s Office of Strategic Services gathering intel
• Soar Like Eagles, set in England, told from the perspectives of an American navigator and an American Red Cross volunteer

Blurb:

She’s loved him forever.

He’s never seen her as more than a memory from home.

Then Pearl Harbor changes everything.

December 7, 1941 shatters the illusion that anyone is safe.

Navy nurse Gloria Bloch wakes to the thunder of enemy planes over Pearl Harbor, certain of only one thing: John Walsh, the boy she has loved since childhood, is far from danger aboard an aircraft carrier. Or so she believes.

When panicked American gunfire brings John down over the harbor, their reunion is brief and breathtaking, forged in chaos neither can escape.

As the Second World War drives the United States into the Pacific conflict, Gloria and John are swept onto separate paths of duty. Gloria serves aboard the hospital ship USS Serenity, tending shattered bodies and wounded souls. John flies combat missions as a Navy fighter pilot and combat photographer, risking everything to document a war that refuses to leave him untouched.

Their paths cross again and again in fleeting moments between air raids and surgeries, courage and fear, longing and loss. With every meeting, the feelings they have buried deepen. But war demands more than love. It demands sacrifice, tests faith, and steals time without warning.

When separation stretches into silence, Gloria must face the terrifying possibility that hope itself has become another casualty of war.

As war and distance threaten to pull them apart, only the smallest signs remain: a whistle, a painted bird, and a promise worth holding onto.

Listen for the Chickadees is a Christian World War II historical romance set against the backdrop of Pearl Harbor, the U.S. Navy, and the Pacific War. It is a story of steadfast love, quiet faith, and the courage it takes to trust God when tomorrow is uncertain.

Perfect for readers who enjoy WWII historical fiction, Christian wartime love stories, and emotionally rich fiction set in America and the Pacific theater.

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My thoughts

Reading Listen for the Chickadees is an immersive dive into the aftermath of the Pearl Harbor attack and experiencing how things played out in the Pacific through aircraft, submarines, and hospital ships. Two perspectives lead the way. Gloria Bloch is a devoted, skilled Navy nurse—kind, sensitive, and relatable. In the hospital ship, she confronts horrific situations as wounded young men are admitted to face a long recovery, shattered emotions, and/or death. John Walsh is a trained pilot with ambitions to be a photo-journalist and more than once ends up being one of Gloria’s patients. 

John and Gloria’s brief encounters between chaos and cacophony lead to a deeper connection, with a bond forged by war. Their likable personalities had me rooting for them. I enjoyed the way chickadees played a part in this story.

Though this extremely well-researched story incorporates familiar historical events and landmarks, the story is not predictable. To balance out the devastation of war is John’s contagious humor and fun cameos by the first lady Eleanor Roosevelt and Bob Hope who entertains the troops. There’s also a fun connection to Wangard’s WWI book about Gloria’s parents, Peter and Maren (The Storm Breaks Forth).

A solid faith arc gives additional meaning and purpose to terrifying events that seem anything but meaningful and purposeful.

Join me for some Q & A with author Terry Wangard.

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Questions about Listen for the Chickadees

Which historical parameters were imposed on you? Where did you have to fill in the gaps with your imagination?

Terri: The timeline of the Pacific war had to be followed. The Pearl Harbor attack is obvious, and the dates for Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Kwajalein, the Turkey Shoot, etc. It wouldn’t do to have them out of order. I’ve read a couple of books that featured an unnamed enemy-held island close to Midway; that’s outside of my parameters.

I did add an enemy submarine stalking my fictitious hospital ship. As far as what the characters faced on the hospital ship or the aircraft carriers, that was influenced by memoirs, but altered by imagined events, such as the shark visiting the life raft. 

That scene was influenced by George H. W. Bush being shot down and rescued by a submarine and there were numerous accounts of shark attacks, but George Bush did not experience such an attack.

How fun to play around with some of those incidents as you incorporate events for the story. How is your protagonist Gloria like you? Different from you? What would she have to say about you?

Terri: “Wimp!” Gloria is a nurse. That is not a career I would ever contemplate. There’s a feistiness to her that I don’t think anyone would ever accuse me of having. She had to be feisty to join the Navy and go out on her own. I’ve done world traveling on my own, but not long-term in a male environment.

No doubt her feistiness was an asset for her! But I think she’s too kind to call you a “wimp.” 🙂 Which character presented the biggest challenge and why?

Terri: John is a fighter pilot. He had to have a steely resolve to get into his airplane and fly into battle. That’s true of all my characters who served in the military in my WWI or WWII books, but those books made it harder to come up with original aspects here. 

John’s friends in the other books in this series did not fly in air battles (cargo pilot and anti-submarine warfare, convoy escort pilot). The B-17 navigators in my first series also had a very different experience. Most pilots wanted to be fighter pilots, the “glamour boys,” but John didn’t really fit that personality. Making both him and the combat realistic was challenging. 

True—John was very different from your other pilots, but that worked well with his interest in photography. What research rabbit hole did you fall into, and what fascinating detail made it onto the page?

Terri: The Battle of Midway is famous as the turning point in the Pacific War, but how much is known about Midway? This was a carrier battle fought in the air and few airmen ever saw the atoll. However, it became a submarine port and rescued airmen were brought to Midway by the subs that picked them up. 

My main character was brought to Midway; what did he see? Pan Am Airlines had built an amazing luxury hotel for passengers traveling to China on the Clippers in the late 30s. I couldn’t include a fraction of what I learned, but I used all that info for a future story.

How great that you can use those fascinating facts later! What deeper question does your novel explore?

Terri: The theme of forgiveness evolved on its own. One of my editors encouraged me to highlight what had been loose strings. John was wounded three times by “friendly fire.” He had to see how his unforgiveness affected his relationships with others and with God and let go of his resentment.

Such a hard lesson to learn, but so necessary. How do you want this book to resonate with readers?

Terri: I hope my books are entertaining while also enlightening. That’s why historical accuracy is so important to me. Many people don’t have a clue about Midway or Brazil in WWII. I hope readers enjoy learning the history through story.

Historical fiction is my number one way to learn history. I’m glad you care about getting the facts straight! How does this book connect to your previous work—or signal a new direction for you?

Terri: Never say never, but this is probably my last strictly WWII book. I may have WWII tie-ins or prewar stories. When I started writing, I never intended to do so many war novels. I anticipate exploring other eras next.

Listen For the Chickadees is the third book in my Unsung Stories of World War II. My intent was featuring little known settings of the war―Brazil, Iceland, the Pacific. 

My first series also touched on unusual aspects―Sweden, a German war widow who previously lived in Wisconsin and helps a downed airman she knew, the clubmobiles. I don’t have any more ideas for the unusual story.

You get the prize for unusual World War II settings, that’s for sure. If you could live in one of the story worlds you’ve created, which one would you choose and why?

Terri: My books are set in war times, either WWI or WWII. Do I want to live through a war? With all the movies and books about it, WWII is more familiar. I’d like to experience life on the B-17 base that was the setting of my first series. Watching and hearing the bombers take off for the front lines of the air war. The thrill and trepidation. And when they return, straggling, smoking, sometimes crashing. The horror of war. 

My third book featured an American woman servicing with the Red Cross with the clubmobiles that visited the bases. I dedicated that book to my mom because I could easily envision her in that role. Of all my heroines, that would be the most likely for me.

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Comment below for a chance to win your choice of an ebook or a paperback—USA only.

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Back to Laura . . . On a similar note . . . 

If you like dual timeline fiction about family dynamics in a small town Midwest (Wisconsin) setting, try The Broken Weathervane (launched September 2). Two co-workers seek the same information. One wants to publish it; the other has good reasons to keep it hidden. The timeline alternates between 2015 and the 1950s. Check out the reviews and book trailer here.

If you like historical fiction, you might enjoy A Hundred Magical Reasons (launched January 2025). This story spotlights L. Frank Baum, author of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, his friendship with a young girl, and his impact through the decades. Set in Holland, Michigan, this dual timeline novel alternates between 1980 and the early 1900s. Read more and watch the book trailer here. 

If you like Southern fiction and small town/rural stories about family dynamics and secrets, you might enjoy my novel All That Is Hidden. Set near North Carolina’s Smoky Mountains in 1968, the story spotlights the bond of family and the connections of a tight-knit community. Northern exploitation threatens as a father’s hidden past catches up to him and tests family ties. Learn more and watch the trailer here.

All That Is Hidden is now an audiobook! 

I invite you to join my monthly newsletter for writing updates, freebies, and giveaways. Sign up and I’ll send you a prequel and 7 Oz-inspired recipes: StandoutStoriesNewsletter.com  

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Terri Wangard bio:

Terri Wangard grew up in Green Bay, Wisconsin, during the Lombardi Glory Years. Her first Girl Scout badge was the Writer. Holder of a bachelor’s degree in history and a master’s degree in library science, she is back in Wisconsin after several years in Michigan, Utah, and California. Her WWII research included going for a ride in a B-17 Flying Fortress bomber. She is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers and serves as the Carol contest coordinator and is secretary of the Wisconsin Southeast ACFW chapter. Learn more at TerriWangard.com. 

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Join me next time for a visit with author Naomi Musch.

Meanwhile, have you read Listen for the Chickadees or any of Terri Wangard’s novels or other World War I or II fiction?

Answer in the comments below for a chance to win an ebook or the paperback of your choice.

Ever reading,

Laura

Sign up for my monthly newsletter and receive the 7 free Oz-inspired recipes: StandoutStoriesNewsletter.com