Wayfaring Stranger

Burke's (Light of the World) latest is a character-driven stand-alone novel featuring members of the Holland family from his "Hackberry Holland" series (Lay Down My Sword and My Shield; Rain Gods). Following the Battle of the Bulge in January 1945, Lt. Weldon Holland of Texas and Sgt. Hershel Pine of Louisiana are left to fend for themselves. Stumbling upon an abandoned concentration camp, they rescue Rosita, the woman who will become Weldon's wife. After the war, Hershel and Weldon go into the oil business together, laying pipelines in Texas and Louisiana. Weldon and Rosita become fast friends with Hershel and his wife, Linda, a rising Hollywood star. Unflappable and old-fashioned, Weldon discovers that his relationships will be pushed further than he could imagine when blackmailers threaten the couples. Weldon stands firm against injustice, no matter how out of hand the situation gets.