Reader Views

Shadows & Wings

“Shadows & Wings” by Niki Tulk is a very interesting book that was a joy to read. The fast-moving story kept my attention drawn to every page from the first to the last. Niki Tulk’s characters are portrayed completely and leave nothing to be desired. She gives the reader a detailed description of Lara, an Australian girl and her beloved grandpa, and a good lead in to the main story.

After her grandpa’s death, Lara is left with a mysterious box full of unusual trinkets, each of which had special meaning to her grandpa and Lara was determined to find out what that special meaning was. What secret the trinkets held was to be an enlightening quest for the inquisitive young girl and takes her on an adventure she would never forget. Her adventure takes her from Australia to Germany to find out what secret her grandpa kept all those years. Her search to discover the story of her grandfather’s life in Germany before he emigrated to Australia after WWII is a memorable adventure that the reader is so privileged to share - so memorable and touching it will pull at your heartstrings. Even the jumping from present to past, from Australia to Germany, and back again, the transitions were done in a very professional style so as not to disrupt the reader’s train of thought.

Ms. Tulk has a definite style that was appealing and kept this reader’s attention and interest. I gave it a strong B on my scale and would recommend it to everyone. “Shadows & Wings” is a Well crafted, well written book which engages both emotion and intellect. It has a combination of all the ingredients that make for a best seller. Nicely crafted, her 384 plus page book is exceptionally well written, and holds your interest making it difficult to stop reading. I strongly recommend “Shadows & Wings” by Niki Tulk to the general audience and hope that other readers enjoy it as much as I did.

Shadows & Wings
Niki Tulk
Small House Press (2012)
ISBN 9780985842802
Reviewed by William Phenn for Reader Views (5/13)

Barbed Wire and Daisies

In her debut novel “Barbed Wire and Daisies,” author Carol Strazer delivers an emotional and, at times, heart-wrenching historical account of German refugee Marike Wiens and her family.

The story opens during the final days of World War II in war-ravaged Prussia. Marike, her four children and her sister Agathe and her two children take flight from the only home they have ever known. The Russian army is closing in and their mission is to destroy the final remnants of what was once a tight-knit Mennonite community of indelible faith. Marike and the children are huddled in the basement of an abandoned row house in Danzig, Germany. They are waiting for her sister Agathe to return, hopefully with food. They are going to Denmark - a place of safety; yet a country that wanted none of the responsibility or the onus to care for any of the thousands of displaced German refugees.

Marike and Agathe continue their journey into the fear of the unknown. They are without their husbands, Horst and Herman; yet with each step, they wonder if they will ever see them again. They are lost to a war that contradicts the very fiber of Mennonite beliefs - an undying oath-taking to the conviction of non-violence and all-encompassing faith in Christ. Prussia is no longer and to turn around in hopes that things would be different simply isn’t an option anymore. When they arrive at the home of Abelhard and Theresa, Marike’s brother and sister-in-law, their safety is temporary as they plan the next leg of their journey.

Through endless crossing of land and sometimes sea, they arrive at their destination - the first of many refugee camps filled with conditions and horrors that will be their lives for the next several years. It is the strength of character and tenacity of their human perseverance that enables these families to prepare for a life where anything truly is possible.

I admire Carol Strazer’s ability to write such a compelling story in “Barbed Wire and Daisies.” War is rarely a topic that leads to a happily-ever-after ending, particularly the topics targeting the outlandish tragedies of World War II. Strazer delivered sensitivity as she patiently developed her work of fiction. Her infusion of real circumstances breathed a depth of credibility into each character she introduced. World War II is a time when any historian must question the existence of humanity. It is admirable for Strazer to have selected this topic because she maintained a level of poise and grace through her words as she delivered a tragic work of fiction. This is not a novel for the faint of heart; rather, it is a thought-provoking story that leads the reader on a journey toward the resurrection of faith.

Barbed Wire and Daisies
Carol Strazer
Outskirts Press (2012)
ISBN 9781432793807
Reviewed by Diane Lunsford for Reader Views (1/13)

The Alabama Rebel: A Novel of Courage Amid Conflict

Article first published as Book Review: The Alabama Rebel: A Novel of Courage Amid Conflict by R. Thomas Roe on Blogcritics.
 
If you think as I did that this is just another book about the Civil War, you are sadly mistaken. What Mr. Roe has done with “The Alabama Rebel” is to present the reader with a combination of “Gone With the Wind” and “The Carpetbaggers” (Harold Robbins circa 1961).
 
He describes his main character ‘River Hunter’ as a half Cherokee, half Scotch-Irish youth that was born in the Carolinas and learned many skills from his Cherokee mother and his trapper father.
 
But one day his father never returned from a trapping trip and with the pressures of President Jackson wanting to move all the Indians to reservations out west, River’s mother decides to gather up the family and move to Alabama.
 
River acclimates to his new life easily and takes on the duties of the man of the house. At the same time, his love of books makes him quite knowledgeable and he seeks higher education - leading him to attend an all boys academy and hoping to go on to college.
 
But during his time at the academy, the Civil War is getting worse and his academy is turned into a training camp for Confederate soldiers. River joins the Confederate army and in a few short years he is promoted to Colonel.

He comes home from the war, and finds his old flame, that married a rich kid, is now a widow. After a while, River begins to court his childhood sweetheart and they marry. She has a little boy by her previous marriage; he and River hit it off and River teaches him the ways of the Indian that his mother taught him. Life goes good and River’s wife Sarah is pregnant and they have a baby girl, but then tragedy strikes.

I gave this book one of my highest A’s, it was a great read. I enjoyed it from the beginning to the tragic end and I must say, “If ever there was a good, non-boring book about the Civil War, this one is it.” It is clean, written like a true Southern gentleman, no swearing or other vulgarity. Even the descriptions of the horrors of the war were done tastefully without a lot of the very descriptive blood and guts. I recommend it to the general audience from young adult on.


The Alabama Rebel: A Novel of Courage Amid Conflict
R. Thomas Roe
Signalman Publishing (2012)
ISBN 9781935991816
Reviewed by William Phenn for Reader Views (12/12)

The American War

Article first published as Book Review: The American War by Don Meyer on Blogcritics.
 
Don Meyer captures the realities, the nuances, and the futility of war as well as the strategy and nightmare of battle in “The American War.” The story parallels the details of the 101st Airborne’s return to the Shau Valley in South Vietnam in the summer of 1969 and the march into the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia by General Ricketts and his men of the Third Division in the summer of 1864. These battles both are said to have marked the turning point in each war.
 
Meyers skillfully describes the daily life-threatening struggles faced by fatigued, battle weary troops. Engaging dialog between Sam Kensington, his buddy Harold (Big Stick) Wilson and his XO Lieutenant Orville Smith move a complex plot forward. Although distracted by repeated descriptive actions and overuse of profanity common in military jargon, I am impressed with Meyer’s writing style combining a creative imagination and gift for storytelling. These are strengthened by Meyer’s own background as a Vietnam veteran.
 
Sam Kensington’s vivid dreams of precise incidents from the battle of Shenandoah Valley are related to his XO Lieutenant Orville Smith who has a fervent interest in the history of the Civil War. The dreams are so real that Kensington becomes fixated on determining an underlying cause.
 
Don Meyer brilliantly writes of the frustrations and terrors of the conflict experienced in the front lines of battle. The Civil War segments are well researched. “The American War” is a story that will be acclaimed by fans of military history, Civil War buffs, and especially by Vietnam veterans.


The American War
Don Meyer
two peas publishing (2012)
ISBN 9781938271014
Reviewed by Richard R. Blake for Reader Views (8/12)

Glamorous Illusions

“Glamorous Illusions” is the first novel in The Grand Tour series by Lisa T. Bergren. Set in the early 1900’s, Cora returns home after a year at Normal School to find her father sick and their farm in trouble. Hoping to stay only for a short visit, Cora is crushed to discover how downtrodden and sparse the farm has become. Worried over the welfare of her parents, Cora jumps back into the chores she had hoped to leave behind forever. But when her father has a stroke, Cora must take over completely while her mother nurses her father back to health. Miraculously, Cora’s father does recover, although he is nowhere near capable of the hard work he once was. Cora does as best she can to maintain her father’s livelihood but when her father suffers a second stroke she realizes her determination alone cannot save the farm.

All appears lost until a wealthy man arrives at her doorstep seeking to take Cora away. After much confusion, Cora’s mother concedes that Wallace Kensington, the Montana Copper King, is indeed her biological father. Cora’s mother was Kensington’s maid and mistress, and when she fell pregnant he sent her off to an arranged marriage with Cora’s father. Cora is heart-broken and unimpressed with Kensington’s wealth. But she must do as he says if her father is to survive. Cora ships her parents off to the Midwest to recover and travels with Kensington to face her biological family and her dreaded debut into society. Soon, Cora learns she will be joining her half-siblings on a Grand Tour of Europe - a tradition for the wealthy young to broaden their minds and discover different cultures.
 
So begins the heart of the novel, The Grand Tour, taking Cora from Montana across the great sea on a steamship and into Europe. Along the way, Cora is snubbed by her siblings, embarrassed by her provincial sensibilities, and discouraged with her future as Kingston’s illegitimate daughter. Yet with God’s help, Cora finds a strength and courage to plod through. And then there’s Will, her guide, who is both loyal and handsome. Cora can’t help but have a crush on him as she fends off Stuart, an abrupt and egotistical young man.
 
The historical elements Bergren delivers are both educational and entertaining. Fans of historical fiction will most likely be pleased by Bergren’s colorful settings of England and France in the early 1900’s. So too, fans of Christian fiction will easily relate and identify with the sweet Cora. “Glamorous Illusions” runs a little long and the ending is somewhat anti-climactic, but Lisa T. Bergren is a good writer and as her readers are surely aware, this is the first novel in a series. It’s a good bet that her readers are clamoring at the bit for the second installment.


Glamorous Illusions
Lisa T. Bergren
David C. Cook (2012)
ISBN 9781434764300
Reviewed by Jennifer Gooch Hummer for Reader Views (8/12)

A Cruel Calm: Paris Between The Wars

Patricia Daly-Lipe has written my kind of love story. Based on the life of her mother who lived in Paris between the two world wars, the likeable heroine of “A Cruel Calm: Paris Between the Wars” loves not only a man but a time and place. As the novel progresses her feelings grow and deepen, aided by wondrous people and experiences many of us only know of from our school days. And thankfully, the panting and excessive dialogue found in most love stories is replaced here by a fascinating history lesson. This is how a love story should be written.

Elisabeth Perry Whitacker, aka “Libby,” is a newly married, rich, and naive American girl in Paris with her husband. Due to her wealth and beauty, readers are able to move through the Parisian social and artistic circles of the late 1920s meeting the people responsible for some of the most profound changes in the arts, science, and thinking of the time. Picasso, Gertrude Stein, Bessie Coleman, James Joyce, and Charles Lindberg, along with biplanes, the Ford Model T car, cross-country train travel, and Greenwich Village - they all somehow find their way into Libby’s life. And as her curious mind is enriched, she matures and finds true love in Paris trying to recover from the First World War and soon to find itself in another.
 
This book was magic to read, and the years Daly-Lipe spent on her research was clearly worth the effort. Having James Joyce offer council to Libby made me vow to reacquaint myself with this writer, while the book as a whole is a magnificent tribute to the author’s mother and her family history. Although I did not like the introduction of the new character near the end, I loved this book. Not only will readers who like to read about Paris enjoy it, but I highly recommend “A Cruel Calm: Paris Between The Wars” by Patricia Daly-Lipe to anyone who likes intelligent stories by writers who are very good at what they do.


A Cruel Calm: Paris Between The Wars
Patricia Daly-Lipe
Xlibris Corporation (2010)
ISBN 9781450044707
Reviewed by Deb Shunamon for Reader Views (6/12)

I Must Survive

Article first published as Book Review: I must Survive by Harry Simpson on Blogcritics. 
 
Brad Howard is the sole survivor from the crew of his Patrol River Boat (PBR). “I Must Survive” is the first person account of the day-by-day struggles Brad experiences in his survival efforts amid the dangers of the jungles of Viet Nam while avoiding the threat of death or the tortures of imprisonment by the enemy patrols of the Vietcong.

I personally enjoy well-written memoirs that read like fiction and, conversely, fiction with a plot and writing that convey reality.  Simpson’s fiction is so well written that I felt I was reading his personal memoirs. I identified with Brad Howard and others of his well-developed characters, his amazing descriptions of the era, and the feelings and emotions generated through the first person narrative used in this novel.

Simpson’s amazing attention to detail brings all five senses into play as he describes the itchy burning from insect bites coupled with crawling fleas on his sweaty skin. I could almost feel the pain and soreness of his cramped muscles and joints, the turmoil of his stomach as he fed on grubs, snake meat, wild rabbit, or a raw lizard, and “the reeking waves” of his nauseating body odor.
 
In a unique and surprising way Simpson effectively introduces a heartwarming secondary story that runs parallel with his main plot of survival. Brad Howard reflects on his childhood and coming of age during an era of innocence in the state of Colorado. Brad uses his reflections as an escape mechanism to keep his mind off the danger, monotony, and self-pity of the long lonely hours and days of living with the constant trauma, stress, and hardships faced while existing to survive. 

I have read many stories, fiction and nonfiction, related by Viet Nam veterans telling of the horrors of jungle warfare, post traumatic syndrome, and the difficulty of being assimilated back into society after returning home. “I Must Survive” is a fresh and powerful tribute to the men who served our country in Viet Nam.


I Must Survive
Harry Simpson
AuthorHouse (2011)
ISBN 9781467027052
Reviewed by Richard R. Blake for Reader Views (11/11)

The Silk Box: A Love Story

What makes “The Silk Box" unique is the racially and culturally different characters who fall in love during a modern-day war. Shirley Mihoko Hairston’s fictional story is based on the factual meeting and eventual marriage of her mother Mi-hoko, who survived the nuclear bombing of Hiroshima, and her father Sonny, an African-American paratrooper fighting in the Korean War.
           
The author has set her characters in a variety of historical situations of the 1940s and 1950s, when Sonny’s skin color and Mi-hoko’s disfiguration, as a result of the bombing, created huge problems for each of them within their own cultures. The journey to each other was not easy for either of them. Other stories, such as the hatred of a young Chinese teenager for the Japanese as a result of the occupation of Nanking, and the way arranged marriages were done in Japan, are also told along the way. However, this fascinating information is just background for a formula love story. An abundance of dialogue, wishful thinking, and sexual encounters, some extremely violent, are included as well. This novel has everything romance aficionados could want.
            
I enjoyed the exposure to the Asian history and perspectives in this book. And the author has done her best to offer a thoughtful story about tolerance, brutality, and true love. But most of all, Shirley Mihoko Hariston's novel is clearly a work of love and admiration for her parents. Readers who enjoy historical love stories will find “The Silk Box” a real treat.


The Silk Box: A Love Story
Shirley Mihoko Hairston
Outskirts Press (2012)
ISBN 9781432762841
Reviewed by Deb Shunamon for Reader Views (4/12)

The Parsifal Pursuit: A Winston Churchill Thriller

Article first published as Book Review:The Parsifal Pursuit: A Winston Churchill Thriller by Michael McMenamin & Patrick McMenamin on Blogcritics.
Father and son writing team, Michael and Patrick McMenamin collaborate in “The Parsifal Pursuit,” a new approach to the genre of historical fiction. This is the second in their series of Winston Churchill Thrillers. Mattie McGary, photo journalist, with the Hearst newspaper empire, and Bourke Cockran Jr., a New York law school professor and former counter intelligence agent, protagonists from the “DeValera Deception,” are found deeply involved on separate assignments in a Grail quest commissioned by Winston Churchill.
The year is 1931. A conspiracy is underway to assassinate Germany’s President Hindenburg. Their assignment is to find and recover a stolen ancient Christian artifact, the Spear of Destiny, which was used to pierce the side of Christ on the cross. Time is of the essence as Hitler and the Kaiser are in a race to recover the Spear for their own personal purposes.
Cochran’s specific assignment is to represent an heiress, victim of Nazi tactics in an extortion and protection racket. Germany is in a state of political struggle. Reactionary industrialists are backing Kaiser Wilhelm II, and racist radicals are promoting the Nazis and Adolf Hitler.
In the background another conflict is taking place in the search for the Spear in the Austrian Alps. Mattie’s life is endangered, as well as her romance with Cockran, when an unscrupulous, handsome guide recuses Mattie and determines to seduce her.
I appreciate the personal insight I gained into science of Eugenics, the dangers of injustice to individuals when government attempts to legislate the practices aimed at improving the genetic composition of its citizens. I gained a new perspective on the political feelings in Europe in the years leading up to World War II.
Michael McMenamin’s careful attention to historical accuracy while interjecting fictional segments into factual circumstances gives credibility to the background for the story. Patrick McMenamin’s creative imagination adds a flavor of excitement, adventure and romance to an important era in world history.
“The Parsifal Pursuit” is informative and entertaining – a new approach to the genre of historical fiction. The story is packed with suspense, adrenaline-producing drama, and fast-moving action right up to an unexpected, over the top, climatic conclusion.


The Parsifal Pursuit: A Winston Churchill Thriller

Michael McMenamin & Patrick McMenamin
Enigma Books (2011)
ISBN 9781936274239
Reviewed by Richard R. Blake for Reader Views (2/12)

Heaven’s Daughter

Article first published as Book Review: Heaven's Daughter by Maggi A. Petton on Blogcritics.

When I began reading “Heaven’s Daughter,” I found myself immediately held spellbound. The story begins with two runaway slaves, who are mother and daughter. Having been captured in Africa, taken away from her family and her fiancé, the mother is desperate to give her daughter, Effie, a better life. Since they are both slaves, this is difficult to do. As the daughter begins to suffer the same horrible abuses that her mother did, from their owners, they both know that they have to escape.

As they begin the arduous journey north, they encounter a young blonde girl named Abby. Abby is also on the run, but in her case she is running from a kidnapper. The kidnapper grabbed her from her family’s home so that he could pretend he was traveling with his daughter, instead of being an army deserter. Fortunately, he did not abuse her.

Joining together to return Abby to her home, the girls develop a strong bond. Effie’s mother shares her African heritage with them with both songs and stories. When they finally make it to Abby’s home the family gives them a warm welcome and is grateful for their assistance in returning their daughter. As time goes by, and they suffer through some horrible tragedies, the bond between the two women becomes even stronger. Knowing that this is a time where both interracial and homosexual relationships are not acceptable, the women have to keep their special love for each other a secret. Their incredible love for each other helps them hang on to their sanity and each other as they try to cope with family losses, betrayal, and tragedy.

Having read and enjoyed “The Queen’s Companion,” I suspected that “Heaven’s Daughter” would be an exceptional book. And I was correct. In this novel, the horrors of slavery, war, prejudice and discrimination are all brought together however; love and loyalty demonstrate a great healing power. I found this story to be extremely realistic and well researched. While I have studied this era and thought about how difficult it would be for people to mix interracially, I never considered what it would be like for homosexual couples. In this story, Petton addresses both issues in one relationship. It was refreshing to be able to enjoy an incredibly written story, and to be offered something new to reflect on. I highly recommend “Heaven’s Daughter.”


Heaven’s Daughter
Maggi A. Petton
BookLocker (2011)
ASIN: B0068CUNIS
Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (9/11)