In this episode, we take a vacation from our normal format! We invited Linda’s wonderful former co-worker, Jona Green to join us for some Front Porch talk. Linda reports that at their former workplace, everyone loved Jona’s positive energy, approachability and fun. Jona read and loved The Nightingale and we wanted to discuss the book with her because we knew she would have some interesting insights and also would share some laughs with us! Jona is a financial advisor for Edward Jones in Willow Street, Lancaster County in Pennsylvania. She is a wife and mother to 2 teen boys. We start off talking about our Front Porch drinks of choice and Jona gives us the inside scoop to Amish Meadow Mint tea that is available in Lancaster County this time of year. Anyone else heard of Meadow Mint tea? I think we might have to try it out! Recipe in links! Jona talks about how being a boy mom led her to wanting to listen to a female-led story. We talk about how book clubs are great ways to be exposed to books a person might not otherwise read. In fact, this is the first book any of the three of us had read by Kristin Hannah. Jona shares a harrowing story about her grandfather’s service in the Army Air Corp during World War II. His fellow Air Corp memories thought he had died and were toasting his memory when he arrived back at his home base. We talked about how Vianne and Isabelle were heroes, also, but in a very different way. We discuss Isabelle’s decision to help save children and also ensure the children would be returned to their families. We talk about whether we could find heroism within ourselves. Jona believes she would be a good at packing snacks, but doesn’t see herself climbing the mountains, but says her sister would be the rebel. We disagree about the German officer Beck. Jona was sort of in love with him. Linda saw him as pure evil. Nancy loved how Kristin Hannah wrote him as a morally ambiguous character. Linda tells us why she sees Vianne’s attraction to Beck as a Stockholm Syndrome situation. We discuss Julian’s abandonment of his daughters but the redemption story in his giving his life for Isabelle. We talk about book recommendations. Jona just finished and recommends Bel Canto by Anne Patchett. She is also reading Liar’s Poker with her husband. Nancy just finished The Midnight Library by Matt Haig and she says it is very thought-provoking. Linda is currently reading a Christian fiction book and halfway into next month’s book, Van Jones’ Beyond the Messy Truth. Linny makes up a new word, too!