Forever and a Day

A family memoir of peril, sacrifice, and enduring love during World War II

Like many children of the 1940s and 50s, Eric Jensen rarely heard his family’s stories of World War II. But after his mother’s death, Jensen discovered a cardboard box brimming with letters. This treasure trove launched Jensen on a journey to discover his family’s connection to the war-a journey that would take him back in time and around the world.

Unique in WWII accounts, this family memoir introduces us to George and Mary Jensen, five Jensen siblings, and their friends-through letters arriving from the front lines of Europe and the Pacific. From western Canada and Alaska, where civilians and GIs labored under impossible conditions to complete the Alaska Military Road, the Canadian Oil Project, and the Northwest Staging Route. And from home front America, where the Jensen women scrambled to support the war effort while coping with rationing, bone-wearying work, and endless worry.