Sealed with Hope: “Letters from Sweden”

RESCHEDULED EVENT FROM SEPTEMBER 2025

A poignant, true story of love, faith, and endurance in the aftermath of World War II, drawn from hundreds of handwritten letters, Letters from Sweden is a historical romance that brings to life the story of Bill—a 28-year-old Purple Heart recipient and Gettysburg seminary student—and Mary, a determined and educated 22-year-old public health pioneer in South Carolina. Their chance meeting led to a whirlwind romance, and an engagement sealed in 1947 on the same day Bill departed for an 18-month academic and religious study program in Sweden. Through long months of separation, their devotion to each other was tested and strengthened by their faith, commitment, and the written word. With vivid historical detail and emotional depth, Letters from Sweden is a testament to the enduring power of love across distance and time, a WWII love story of his parents, written by author (and Library Society Member) David Schaeffer.

If you are unable to attend the event but would like to purchase one or more signed copies, please visit Buxton Books here.

If you purchased tickets for the event in September your tickets are valid for this event. If you are unable to attend the new event date please call (843) 723-9912.

About the Book

The “Greatest Generation” was filled with war heroes and love stories during and shortly after World War II. Love of God, country, and family were the priorities of young men and women facing and surviving military service at the time. Many of their love stories were told in letters written home from overseas. Hidden in dusty boxes in attics, or locked away in storage chests, these treasures are occasionally found and their stories finally uncovered. This is the true story of Bill, a twenty-eight-year-old Gettysburg seminarian and Purple Heart veteran, who was still single, disenchanted with women, and unsure of his future in the ministry. Mary was a twenty-two-year-old, highly educated, pragmatic young woman starting a public health program from scratch in Greenville, South Carolina. After meeting, they quickly fell in love, and became engaged on the same day Bill left for an eighteen-month post-graduate religious and academic study program in Sweden in January 1947. Based on hundreds of handwritten letters during and after the war, this nonfiction historical romance explores how one couple’s love, commitment, faith, and trust were sustained and grew across an ocean of separation shortly after the Second World War.

About the Author

David Schaeffer practiced law in Atlanta for thirty-eight years before moving to Kiawah Island with his wife Kim. He served as President of the Atlanta Bar Association and Chair of its Litigation Section and received the Atlanta Bar’s highest honor, the Charles E. Watkins, Jr. Award for distinguished and sustained service in 2015. At 44, he climbed Mt. Whitney, which launched a lifelong passion for climbing incredible peaks that has taken him all over the world and provided the content to author two books, Five Big Mountains and the second, Another Five Big Mountains and Treks. David has since written two other books, Letters from Sweden, a true love story inspired by his parents and Initiation at the Scum Pond, his first legal thriller, arriving in book stores this November.