The Bungalow

Table of Contents

 

 

 

A PLUME BOOK
THE BUNGALOW

SARAH JIO is a journalist who has written for
Glamour
;
O, The Oprah Magazine
;
Real Simple
;
SELF
;
Cooking Light
;
Redbook
;
Parents
;
Woman’s Day
; and many other publications. She is the health and fitness blogger for
Glamour.com
and lives in Seattle with her husband, their three young children, and a golden retriever named Paisley, who steals socks. Learn more about Sarah at
www.sarahjio.com
.

“Sarah Jio whips romance, history, and a page-turning mystery into one mesmerizing South Sea dream.”

—Carol Cassella, national bestselling author of
Oxygen
and
Healer

 

“Seasoned with mystery and awash in the glory of the South Pacific, this stirring wartime romance explores the uncompromising power of long-lost love. Readers, pack your bags and set sail for enchantment in Sarah Jio’s
The Bungalow
!”

—Sarah McCoy, author of
The Baker’s Daughter
and
The Time It Snowed in Puerto Rico

 

“A gem . . . True escape fiction that can take you away.”

—WGBH-TV

 

“Masterfully written.”—
The Star-Ledger
(New Jersey)

“In a sweet debut novel, a divorcée visiting her aunt on gorgeous Bainbridge Island, Washington, finds a diary dating to 1943 that reveals potentially life-changing secrets.”

—
Coastal Living

 

“The right book finds you at the right time.
The Violets of March
will become a source of healing and comfort for its readers.”

—
Costco Connection

 

“In
The Violets of March
, debut author Sarah Jio beautifully blends the stories of two women—one of the past, one of the present—together to create a captivating and enthralling novel of romance, heartbreak, and redemption.”

—
Times Record News
(Wichita Falls, Texas)

 

“Jio’s debut is a rich blend of history, mystery, and romance. Fans of Sarah Blake’s
The Postmistress
should enjoy this story.”

—
Library Journal

 

“[An] endearing tale of past heartbreaks and new beginnings. The story’s setting and sentiment are sure to entice readers and keep them captivated page after page.”

—
Romantic Times

 

“A perfect summer read for an escape into a fictional character’s challenges with the charm of a local Northwest setting.”

—
425 Magazine

 

“Refreshing . . . lovable.”

—
First for Women
magazine

 

“Mix a love story, history, and a mystery and what takes root?
The Violets of March
, a novel that reminds us how the past comes back to haunt us, and packs a few great surprises for the reader along the way.”

—Jodi Picoult, author of
Sing You Home
and
House Rules

 

“
The Violets of March
is a captivating first bloom of a novel, with tangled roots, budding relationships, and plenty of twists and turns. But perhaps the biggest revelation of all is that Sarah Jio is one talented writer!”

—Claire Cook, bestselling author of
Must Love Dogs
and
Best Staged Plans

 

“Sarah Jio’s
The Violets of March
is a book for anyone who has ever lost love or lost herself. A fresh, satisfying, resonant debut.”

—Allison Winn Scotch, author of
Time of My Life
and
The Memory of Us

 

“An enchanting story of love, betrayal, and the discovery of an old diary that mysteriously links the past to the present.
The Violets of March
is a delightful debut.”

—Beth Hoffman, author of
Saving CeeCee Honeycutt

 

“A romantic, heartfelt, and richly detailed debut.
The Violets of March
is the story of a woman who needs to step away from her shattered life and into the magic of Bainbridge Island before she can find herself again. Sarah Jio delivers a gem of a book, perfect for reading on the beach or under a cozy quilt.”

—Sarah Pekkanen, author of
The Opposite of Me
and
Skipping a Beat

 

“
The Violets of March
is a captivating, bittersweet tale of what happens when the long-buried truth finally makes its way to the surface. I didn’t want this book to end!”

—Kelly O’Connor McNees, author of
The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott

PLUME

Published by the Penguin Group

Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014, U.S.A. • Penguin Group (Canada), 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M4P 2Y3 (a division of Pearson Penguin Canada Inc.) • Penguin Books Ltd., 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England • Penguin Ireland, 25 St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2, Ireland (a division of Penguin Books Ltd.) • Penguin Group (Australia), 250 Camberwell Road, Camberwell, Victoria 3124, Australia (a division of Pearson Australia Group Pty. Ltd.) • Penguin Books India Pvt. Ltd., 11 Community Centre, Panchsheel Park, New Delhi – 110 017, India • Penguin Group (NZ), 67 Apollo Drive, Rosedale, Auckland 0632, New Zealand (a division of Pearson New Zealand Ltd.) • Penguin Books (South Africa) (Pty.) Ltd., 24 Sturdee Avenue, Rosebank, Johannesburg 2196, South Africa

Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England

First published by Plume, a member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

First Printing, January 2012

Copyright © Sarah Jio, 2011
All rights reserved

REGISTERED TRADEMARK—MARCA REGISTRADA

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA

Jio, Sarah.

The bungalow : a novel / Sarah Jio.

p. cm.

ISBN : 978-1-101-56567-4

1. Older women—Fiction. 2. Reminiscing in old age—Fiction. 3. United States. Army Nurse Corps—Fiction. 4. World War, 1939 – 1945—Fiction. 5. Americans—French Polynesia—Fiction. 6. Bora-Bora (French Polynesia)—Fiction. 7. Life change events—Fiction. 8. Washington (State)—Fiction. I. Title.

PS3610.I6B86 2012

813’.6—dc22 2011026872

Kirch

 

Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

 

PUBLISHER’S NOTE

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

 

The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.

 

BOOKS ARE AVAILABLE AT QUANTITY DISCOUNTS WHEN USED TO PROMOTE PRODUCTS OR SERVICES. FOR INFORMATION PLEASE WRITE TO PREMIUM MARKETING DIVISION, PENGUIN GROUP (USA) INC., 375 HUDSON STREET, NEW YORK, NEW YORK 10014.

 

“H
ello?”

Startled, I opened my eyes at the sound of a familiar voice—pleasant, but sorely out of place. Jennifer, yes, my granddaughter.
But where am I?
Or rather, why was she
here
? I blinked a few times, disoriented. I had been dreaming of sandy beaches and coconut palms—the place my unconscious mind always tries to visit, but this time I was lucky enough to find it in the archives of my memories.

He was there, of course—in uniform, shyly smiling at me as the waves fell into the shore. I could hear them—their violent crash, followed by the fizz of a million bubbles kissing the sand. Closing my eyes tighter, I found him again, standing there amid the fog of sleep that was lifting, too quickly.
Don’t go
, my heart pleaded.
Stay. Please stay.
And he obediently appeared again with that beckoning grin, those arms outstretched to me. I felt the familiar flutter in my heart, the longing.