Once Upon a Book Club Review July 2019
Once Upon a Book Club is a unique, interactive online community that offers a monthly subscription service where readers will receive a monthly box in the mail containing a newly released book to read for the month, along with 3-5 individually wrapped gifts. They kindly sent us this box for review.
Subscription Details
When you sign up for Once Upon a Book Club you have two options to choose from:
- Young Adult Subscription
- Adult Subscription
Both options start at $34.99 per month and you can choose a month-to-month subscription, 3-month subscription, 6-month subscription or an annual subscription.
Here’s a closer look at the July Adult Once Upon a Book Club…..
Note: Each box comes with a book and 3-5 individually wrapped gifts. To fully experience the box they remind us to only open the gifts once we reach the corresponding page numbers.
The Long Flight Home by Alan Hlad
Inspired by fascinating, true, yet little-known events during World War II, The Long Flight Home is a testament to the power of courage in our darkest hours—a moving, masterfully written story of love and sacrifice.
It is September 1940—a year into the war—and as German bombs fall on Britain, fears grow of an impending invasion. Enemy fighter planes blacken the sky around the Epping Forest home of Susan Shepherd and her grandfather, Bertie. After losing her parents to influenza as a child, Susan found comfort in raising homing pigeons with Bertie. All her birds are extraordinary to Susan—loyal, intelligent, beautiful—but none more so than Duchess. Hatched from an egg that Susan incubated in a bowl under her grandfather’s desk lamp, Duchess shares a special bond with Susan and an unusual curiosity about the human world.
Thousands of miles away in Buxton, Maine, a young crop-duster pilot named Ollie Evans has decided to travel to Britain to join the Royal Air Force. His quest brings him to Epping and to the National Pigeon Service, where Susan is involved in a new, covert assignment. Codenamed Source Columba, the mission aims to air-drop hundreds of homing pigeons in German-occupied France. Many will not survive. Those that do make the journey home to England can convey crucial information on German troop movements—and help reclaim the skies from the Luftwaffe.
The friendship between Ollie and Susan deepens as the mission date draws near. When Ollie’s plane is downed behind enemy lines, both know how remote the chances of reunion must be. Yet Duchess’s devotion and her singular sense of duty will become an unexpected lifeline, relaying messages between Susan and Ollie as war rages on—and proving, at last, that hope is never truly lost.
Page 14
On page 14 one of the characters receives a note just like this one, it’s a package tied with string and it contains the same message. Ours has a really unique wood pen tucked inside.
Page 156
Here we have a towel tucked inside a plastic container. On page 156 one of the characters has injured themselves and they use cold towels to reduce the swelling. The unique thing about the towel we received is that it is an instant cooling towel.
Page 260
Next up is this cute little canister with a note tucked inside. On page 260 they speak of a pigeon carrying a canister. One of the characters opens it to find…..you guessed it…..a note tucked inside.
Page 345
On page 345 there’s mention of a newspaper article and here we have a replica of the same article.
Page 363
On page 363 two of the characters are enjoying a pot of freshly brewed tea. This is easily my favorite item in the box. Sadly it broke during the shipping process but I’m sure customer service will replace it if I contact them.
Once Upon a Book Club Review July 2019 – Final Thoughts
I’m always amazing by the attention to detail and the thought and energy that goes in to each and every Once Upon a Book Club box. We receive a well-researched book and curated items to take us along on a journey while we read. Once Upon a Book Club is unique in the fact that the unboxing experience is prolonged as we are to open the gifts at certain times throughout the book. It creates a really fun experience for those of us who love to read.
-AYOB