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MWSA Review
A Walk Among Heroes tells an absorbing, intimate tale spanning two world wars. First-person accounts by two combat veterans (one from each conflict) relate the enduring toll their wartime experiences imposed on themselves and their loved ones. The predominant storyline traces a young man’s coming of age as a US Army enlistee in the years before, during, and after WWII. Much of this narrative is devoted to the friendships formed in the period leading up to his unit’s baptism by fire on D-Day. Courage and devotion to his comrades are subsequently tested in battles fought in Europe up to V-E Day. His homecoming after the war is marked by further challenges as he fights survivor's guilt and his abiding obsession with “the girl who got away”—his first and only love.
The story arc moves between the viewpoints of the two warriors, gradually filling in personal details and relationships to reveal how their lives have been intertwined. Occasional dialogs with two female characters fill in other specifics of the warriors’ histories. Intertwined relationships between the characters are revealed slowly through the story and its timeline. The narrative moves forward and back in time freely within chapters, often without warning or guidance. This can leave the reader briefly confused about whether the narrator is experiencing a scene or imagining it. Scenes are satisfyingly descriptive of surroundings, environment, and situations. Battle action accounts are in-depth and detailed, but readers who are sticklers for historical authenticity will question some incidental references.
The final few chapters quickly tie together the generational and romantic threads that were hinted at throughout the storyline. A few of these connections may strain some readers’ credibility, but all’s fair in fiction. Nonetheless, A Walk Among Heroes delivers an engaging and complex experience that engages readers from the outset and carries them through to a satisfying finish.
Review by Peter Young
Author's Synopsis
Through TJ and Smitty — a World War I aviator scarred by his past — the novel weaves a sweeping story of two wars, two men, and one enduring love that binds generations. It is a deeply moving reflection on duty, sacrifice, and the price paid by those who return home forever changed.
An incredible story of two wars that seamlessly come together through the eyes of two veterans.
Format(s) for review: Paper or Kindle
Review genre: Fiction—Historical Fiction
Pages/Word count: 370 / 77,000