Tracie Peterson's Silent Star is a compact, touching historical novel set in Haven, Pennsylvania during World War II around the Christmas holiday. Andy Gilbert is one of two key characters in the book, the survivor of a car accident that took the lives of his parents when he was just a young man. The accident left him with a bum leg that caused him to limp when he walked. The injury, though, was enough to keep him out of the military service.
Living alone, Andy finds work delivering telegrams for the post office. As the war gets underway, his position becomes more trying. He found himself more and more often the bearer of bad news, his telegrams notifying families in Haven that their sons were missing, or worse, dead. Drowning in sorrow and emotional pain, the families in town begin to shun Andy out of irrational superstitious fear. They feel that if they see him, it will attract his attention and that he will then visit them with one of the dreaded telegrams.
While visiting the graves of his parents, Andy meets Estella, an old widow. Estella does not know that Andy feels ostracized; she only sees that he is hurting and lonely, and that she also feels the same way. While working to befriend him she prays that he will have his faith restored in God.
Touching, heartfelt and warm, Silent Star is a timely piece. It is a story that deals with real-life emotions -- love, anguish, fear and faith. Peterson writes in simple sentences but delivers profound impact with each chapter. This book will remind readers that Christmas spirit and holiday cheer should not be limited to just a few days in December.