Letters to War Series by Eija Jimenez

Taylor Phillips was working as a barista in NYC the day the twin towers came crashing down. Seeing her city in shambles, coated in ash, and American lives lost, she enlisted to fight the War on Terror. Daniella Melo, a Rhode Island American History teacher, challenges her class to write letters to soldiers fighting overseas. With one name left and a student short, Daniella takes it upon herself to write letters to Private Taylor Phillips stationed in Afghanistan... moreTaylor Phillips was working as a barista in NYC the day the twin towers came crashing down. Seeing her city in shambles, coated in ash, and American lives lost, she enlisted to fight the War on Terror. Daniella Melo, a Rhode Island American History teacher, challenges her class to write letters to soldiers fighting overseas. With one name left and a student short, Daniella takes it upon herself to write letters to Private Taylor Phillips stationed in Afghanistan. Over the next two years, the women exchange letters, sharing stories of their daily lives: Daniella trailing after her rambunctious daughter, Jackie, and dealing with overeager seniors planning prom while Taylor trudges through sand and dirt, driving her humvee in cold deserts. Their friendship continues to grow until it becomes something so much more than either woman expect. less

Rowark, Rhode Island wasn’t supposed to be the place where Corporal Taylor Phillips found home, but inside a little bungalow was a family she never thought she’d have. All she had to do was finish her service, and she’d get to go home to them. Daniella Melo, however, soon realizes that Taylor’s job isn’t all about fighting bad guys and protecting people as her daughter, Jackie, makes it out to be... moreRowark, Rhode Island wasn’t supposed to be the place where Corporal Taylor Phillips found home, but inside a little bungalow was a family she never thought she’d have. All she had to do was finish her service, and she’d get to go home to them. Daniella Melo, however, soon realizes that Taylor’s job isn’t all about fighting bad guys and protecting people as her daughter, Jackie, makes it out to be. With every letter they exchange and each hasty phone call, the distance between them grows strained. In the span of one night, both their worlds are turned upside down, and Daniella is left to pick up the pieces of her life. Without Taylor. less