As winter descends on Boston, the Nolans brace for another year of war.
By the end of 1942, the tide is turning for the Allies. The Germans have been stopped in their tracks at Stalingrad, and in the East, the U.S. is crushing the Japanese in Guadalcanal. At home, things are looking up for the Nolan family too. Abby is on the Dean’s List at Boston University, and Thomas finally has a family. Mrs. Nolan has recovered from her breakdown, and George is overseas with the Army, making them all proud.
But despite the good news, life on the home front still isn’t easy. In one of the coldest winters on record, an oil shortage is sending families into shelters. A fire at the Cocoanut Grove nightclub has killed almost five hundred people. Dozens of local young men have already died in battle, and every week there are more.
The true scale of the war doesn’t hit home, however, until George’s letters stop coming, which sends everyone into a panic. And the Nolans discover that just because victory is in sight doesn’t mean the struggle is over.