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Back The Land Beneath Us Save as PDF
Chapters (62)
  1. Cover
  2. Endorsements
  3. Books by Sarah Sundin
  4. Title Page
  5. Copyright Page
  6. Presidential Radio Broadcast
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  57. Epilogue
  58. Acknowledgments
  59. Discussion Questions
  60. About the Author
  61. Back Ads
  62. Back Cover

The 2nd Ranger Battalion was a real unit, and the details of their training and combat were drawn from the historical record. While Clay and the men in his platoon are entirely fictional characters, many of the real Rangers appear in this story—Lt. Col. James Earl Rudder, Capt. Walter Block, Capt. Dean Knudson, Lt. James Eikner, 1st Sgt. Leonard “Len” Lomell, and Staff Sgt. Jack Kuhn.

Companies D, E, and F of the 2nd Ranger Battalion became legendary on D-day when they climbed the cliffs of Pointe du Hoc, found and disabled the guns, and fended off counterattacks for two full days until relieved on June 8. The remaining three companies, plus the 5th Ranger Battalion, fought horrific battles on Omaha Beach, where Brig. Gen. Norman Cota gave the command that later became the Ranger motto—“Rangers, lead the way!”

I hope you enjoyed some of the details on pregnancy and baby care in the early 1940s. I found several “Mother’s Books” from the era, which were fascinating and slightly scary in parts (daily sunbaths for infants, anyone?). While official advice has changed—and will continue to change—the love of a mother for her child remains through all generations.

In Tullahoma, all locations and businesses are real, with the exception of the fictional Coffee Children’s Home and the characters’ homes, but all townspeople are entirely fictional.

One “too coincidental to be real but really happened” moment occurred in the story. The 2nd Ranger Battalion and the US 357th Fighter Group actually sailed to Britain on the same ship on the same day. When history hands you something like that on a platter, you take it.

I hope you enjoyed reading about D-day on the ground. If you missed the first two books in the series, please join Wyatt at sea in The Sea Before Us (2018) and Adler in the air in The Sky Above Us (2019).

If you’re on Pinterest, please visit my board for The Land Beneath Us (www.pinterest.com/sarahsundin) to see pictures of Tullahoma, England, Pointe du Hoc, Rangers, 1940s libraries, 1940s maternity and baby wear, and other inspiration for the story.

Acknowledgments

What a privilege and an honor it is to finish my fourth series. I have been blessed to have had the same editors (Vicki Crumpton and Kristin Kornoelje), same agent (Rachel Kent), and many of the same marketing and publicity experts for all twelve books. I’m thankful for each of you and for all you do, and I’m thrilled that we’ll be able to work together in the future.

Thank you to reader friend Corinne Reynolds, who contributed the name Gene Mayer in the pre-order campaign for When Tides Turn. Corinne said, “I’d love to name a character after my grandfather, Gene Mayer, who served during the occupation of Japan at the end of WWII. He passed away a few years ago, but I would be delighted to honor his memory in this way.”