Tag Archives: War

Aug16

Reclaiming Mni Sota by Colin Mustful

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This book is an alternate history of the U. S. – Dakota war of 1862. A novel with an interesting premise of what if the Indigenous People won the war that, in reality, they lost?

The author is a gifted writer with a knack for creating compelling characters. This reader became very invested in both of the protagonists as the story progressed.

Samuel, the young boy who encouraged his family to move west when they were having financial difficulties after his father was injured, was a kind lad who wanted the best for his family. Sadly, they had a rough time in their home of Vermont and that lure of a new life in the west wasn’t all it was promised to be in the brochure he picked up one day. Lots of hardships were in store for this family.  Samuel blamed himself for the woes of his family.

Waabi, an Ojibwe, was also a young lad who adored his family and his culture. He was one with the land as his ancestors were. He watched as his world changed and promises made by the government officials were made and broken over and over. He was also witness to hunger of his people as well as land grabs of the white settlers. This could have made him butter and angry, but with the help of his grandmother, he was able to avoid that.

The trials these young men went through shaped their personalities and lives. They each were compelled to act in certain ways by their experiences.

The novel alternates between the two young men and their viewpoint of their respective worlds. Both are written as sympathetic characters. This reader found herself rooting for a good outcome for each of them. Being drawn into each one’s struggles and disappointments made for compelling reading.

The reader knew we were on a collision course for these two protagonists to meet. What wasn’t known was how their lives would intersect and how they’d be impacted. It kept this reader turning the pages.

I enjoyed the story up until the last few chapters and the epilogue. The fate of one of the characters seemed to me to be jarring and out of keeping with the rest of the story. I’m sure other reviewers may disagree with me but I wasn’t pleased with that angle of the story. I also felt like the reader was left hanging with the fate of the other character. There was no satisfactory wrap up.

Then the epilogue was a bit disconcerting. It took place in the modern day. That was interesting and the words of the character’s ruling were well stated, but who she was and why her name was the same as a character in the 1860s was never explained. Leaving this reader wondering what her relationship was with that other character. That question unanswered as well as the question of the ultimate fate of that other character left me dissatisfied with the way the book ended.

Overall, the book was well written and thought provoking. The history of the white man in this country and the way the native culture and land was overrun is a sad reflection on the settlers of this continent.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

Apr10

Dust Child by Nguyen Phan Que Mai- Review

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A beautifully written story that will stay with the reader for a long while.

Several storylines converge in this book over the course of the tale. 1969 Vietnam and 2016 Vietnam are the main settings of the novel.

Two sisters leave their rice farm in the Mekong Delta for Saigon in order to earn money to help their parents out of debt. They become bar girls. Asking American soldiers to buy them drinks in exchange for a percentage of the money they spend. And there are more things at stake than merely drinking with American soldiers.

An American helicopter pilot stationed in Vietnam during the war who is now in his sixties returns to Saigon with his wife in order to help with his PTSD. Some of his friends have made the return trip and it has helped them. He’s keeping a big secret from his wife though and on the first day in the country, his secrets threaten to spill out and endanger his marriage.

A young black Amerasian man named Phong has lived a hard life as what the Vietnamese call a dust child. Seen as the child of the hated Americans, these children are treated abysmally and discriminated against in both education and employment opportunities. He’s desperate to get his family to America. He was abandoned at an orphanage as an infant and eventually lived on the streets of Saigon, raising himself from age twelve. An adult now with a wife and two children, he wants a better life for them.

The author of this book has a wonderful way with words. Her prose is smooth and easy to read. Many of the passages are very moving. The way she ties the various storylines together is well done. I can’t praise this book enough.

The hard issues that still haunt Vietnam as well as veterans from that era are faced with dignity and caring. The Vietnamese women who were used by the GIs for sex and comfort are depicted as three-dimensional and the product of the horrible wartime they lived in. The reader cared about them and their fates as well as the trauma they went through.

The Amerasian character was also someone who the reader could root for. He overcame so much in his life, the reader wanted him to succeed. From the poor child he was to the family man who wanted respect and happiness for his family, he was really a character that spoke to this reader’s heart. None of the circumstances of his birth were his fault, but his whole life was spent paying the price.

As to the American helicopter pilot, he was depicted as worthy of respect in some ways, but in some ways, not.  Portrayed realistically in the ways of how the war affected young men, he was someone the reader could feel for in some respects and not in others. The things these soldiers saw and did during their time in the jungle changed them and not for the better.

It was clear the author spent massive amounts of time interviewing people who actually lived these kinds of lives and she did an excellent job making those interviews into a novel that one can enjoy the story, but also learn some things about human nature and resiliency. An important read, in my opinion.

I don’t think I can do justice to this book in this review but I absolutely loved this book. I think it’s one everyone should read. For the lessons in love and forgiveness that are at the heart of this book are something we can all strive for in our lives.

Aug5

The Double Agent- William Christie- a Review

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WWII Iran, 1943

The story opens with the hero in dire straits in Iran. He’s in a cell being held at the British embassy and he’s doomed if he doesn’t take action to protect himself.

The hero, Alexsi, warned the British about a plot to kill Churchill ordered by Stalin. As his ‘reward” for doing so, the British intend to send him right back into the fray as a spy for them. A sure fire way for Alexsi to be killed himself.

A clever man who has had a rough existence, he finds a way to survive. But fate has a way of chasing this man and it isn’t long until he’s back in peril. In fact, this whole book is basically him going from one perilous situation to another. Such is the life of a spy in WWII.

Excitement abounds, the story teems with edge of the seat scenarios, and the violence is sometimes stunning and off the charts.

I enjoyed this book for the storyline as well as the hero. He’s smart, industrious, witty and very likeable. Almost like a violent McGyver. He finds his way into scrapes and back out using the resources to hand.

Clearly, the writer of this story has a great way with words and figuring out a way to get his protagonist out of scrapes. I liked the sheer audacity of some of the hero’s actions.

This appears to be book two of a series and it seems there will be a book three since the war isn’t over in the timeline of the story (and even though the ending was satisfying, it is clear this character has more to do). I was pleased to find I didn’t need to have read book one to jump right into book two. There was no confusion about who this man was and why he was in the situation he was in. That being said, I’m planning to go back and read the first one since I’m intrigued by the character. And I eagerly await the next installment.

I would warn readers that the book is quite violent so if you’re squeamish, be wary. Otherwise, be ready for an interesting ride-along with Alexsi.

I received this book from Net Galley in exchange for an unbiased review.  It comes out November 15, 2022.

Aug11

Sunflowers Under Fire by Diana Stevan

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Perseverance, grit and sheer pluckiness describe the heroine of this fictionalized story about the life of author’s grandmother. What a lady she was. From the opening sequence when she gave birth by herself on the kitchen floor, got up and cooked for her husband who just joined the army and then walked the food a number of miles while half a day post-partum, to her bravery when she decided to move her family to an unknown land where they didn’t know the language, Lukia is someone to admire. She was an amazing human being and the author captured the spirit of this lady in a way that made this reader relate to her (even though I’ve never been faced with anything like the situations Lukia faced).

The heroine handled herself well and kept her family fed and with shelter in all kinds of adversity. The losses she suffered were horrible, but she didn’t let them daunt her or cause her to lose her faith.

I very much enjoyed reading this book even though it was dismal and heartbreaking in parts. My admiration of Lukia grew throughout the book. She was just not going to sit down and take it when life didn’t go her way.  If you like tales of fortitude and overcoming tribulation, I recommend this one highly. 4.5 stars