The Victory Club by Robin Lee Hatcher tells the story of four women who are friends, who work at the same base in Idaho, and who are all affected in various ways by WWII.

Margo teaches French to Army Air Corp officers who will soon be shipping out to France. Her only son is overseas and her daughter works at the same base. Though a believer, Margo isn’t a joyful one, punishing herself for sins of the past by rigidly keeping what she sees as the laws of Christianity.

Dottie, Margo’s daughter, is a young women madly in love with her new fiance who has just been shipped out. She’s bright and happy but soon faces a trial that will be difficult for herself and her fiance as well as her mother.

Lucy was married December 6, 1941, the day before the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Her new husband enlisted and was shipped out soon thereafter, leaving her with an aching loneliness.

Penelope’s husband injured his back and was unable to enlist, but instead of being grateful to have him home, she despises him and thinks he is faking his injury.

After a few months of all of them struggling individually, Lucy suggests they start a Victory Club to pray for and support each other, to seek ways to help those in their community, and to take their minds off their troubles. It gets off to a shaky start but eventually becomes a regular part of most of their lives.

I thought the characters were well-drawn and their struggles, temptations, failures and victories were realistic, and I enjoyed reading about them.