Tribute Books: "Echoes From the Infantry" by Frank Nappi Book Review

Echoes from the Infantry Book Summary:

Echoes From The Infantry is the tale of one Long Island World War II veteran, the misery of combat, and the powerful emotional bonds that brought him home to Rockaway Beach and the love of his life, Madeline Brandt. It is about a father and son, and their ultimately redeeming struggle to understand each other's worlds - one a world at war, the other shaped by its veterans. Nappi moves artfully between the present and past, weaving a fictionalized tale of this Long Islander's struggle to reconcile with the demons from long ago and his family's neverending battle with many of the intangible burdens caused by the private life of a man they never really knew. He touches our hearts with a story of courage and perseverance...a story of men who faced the greatest challenge of their generation.

Excerpt Link to Chapter One:
http://www.goodreads.com/story/show/304983-excerpt-from-echoes-from-the-infantry


Echoes from the Infantry: A Novel by Frank Nappi
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Let me preface this review by saying that when it comes to books that involve war the military, I am often rather torn in reviewing them.  The reason is that I know the author is normally painting a very honest picture of the military and the horrors of war, and the profanity is generally very strong.  I sometimes find that the profanity can be overlooked, but I feel the need to let my readers know that this is not one of those books.  I am not necessarily marking it down for the profanity, but I will say it did hamper my enjoyment of the book.

As to the writing and story of the book, it was fairly good.  I believe the author is truly able to capture the absolute horrors of war and how it affects the lives of people long after the conflict is over.  I found the writing style rather easy to read, but the story was sometimes a bit confusing.  This is a book where the story jumps around a lot.  Quite often, this style does not work for me.  I struggle to keep everyone straight and to follow the story in a cohesive manner.  I did find myself sometimes getting involved in the emotion of the story, but sometimes the stories lacked the closure I would like.  But then again, I suppose that is real life, isn't.

Although this was not one of my favored books, I will say that the book indeed has merit.  I think that those who are familiar with military life would appreciate this book more than I.  But all things considered, the book was a strong read.

I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.  I was not financially compensated, and all opinions are 100 percent mine.

View all my reviews

Bio:
Frank Nappi has taught high school English and Creative Writing for over twenty years. His debut novel, Echoes From The Infantry, received national attention, including MWSA's silver medal for outstanding fiction. His follow-up novel, The Legend of Mickey Tussler, garnered rave reviews as well, including a movie adaptation of the touching story "A Mile in His Shoes" starring Dean Cain and Luke Schroder. Frank continues to produce quality work, including Sophomore Campaign, the intriguing sequel to the much heralded original story and the just released thriller, Nobody Has to Know, which received an endorsement from #1 New York Times bestselling author Nelson DeMille. Frank is presently at work on a third installment of his Mickey Tussler series and his next thriller. He lives on Long Island with his wife Julia and their two sons, Nicholas and Anthony.

Frank Nappi's Web Site:
http://www.franknappi.com/

Frank Nappi's Blog:
http://www.franknappi.com/blog.html

Frank Nappi's Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/authorfranknappi

Frank Nappi's Twitter:
https://twitter.com/FrankNappi

Frank Nappi's YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/user/FrankNappibooks?feature=watch

Frank Nappi's Goodreads:
http://www.goodreads.com/fnap33

Echoes from the Infantry Goodreads:
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1214973.Echoes_from_the_Infantry

Tribute Books Blog Tours Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tribute-Books-Blog-Tours/242431245775186

Echoes from the Infantry blog tour site:
http://echoesfromtheinfantry.blogspot.com/


Price/Format: $3.99, ebook
Pages: 256
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Release: October 13, 2005

Kindle buy link ($3.99):
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008BTN8EW?tag=tributebooks-20

Tribute Books Presents "War Stories" by Elizabeth Doyle Review

War Stories Book Summary:

We all carry our own battle scars. 

This is the premise of War Stories, a rich collection of short fiction that draws upon both the literal and figurative meaning of its title.  Through a diverse array of characters, settings, and circumstances, War Stories delivers a series of powerful tales from the home front of war: the stories of parents, siblings, and spouses of those who have fought, as well as those who have returned from battle.

Set against the backdrop of contemporary conflicts, War Stories’ compelling nine narratives tell of a wounded veteran who seeks renewal through an imagined relationship with a neighborhood girl, a grieving father who finds peace and reconciliation at the site of a disastrous bus crash, a young woman who searches for identity and meaning in the wake of her husband’s injury, and an urban teenager engaged in a fateful standoff with local recruiters. Interspersed with these tales are powerful, non-traditional “war stories” – of youth, unexpected loss, and heartbreaking love.

War Stories’ thoughtful and beautifully crafted tales, which range in style from deceptively simple to rich and complex, tell of people young and old, male and female, who share two things: humanity and resilience. These diverse and deftly written stories are joined through Elisabeth Doyle’s remarkable style and ease in creating a universe full of despair, hope, and dreams. At turns tender and harsh, tragic and yearning, these stories will leave you wanting more.

Buy the book.

WAR STORIES  Short Fiction by Elisabeth Doyle

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

When I began this book, I honestly figured it would be a pretty easy read--after all, it is a book of short stories.  And, yes, you can sit down and  read it in a very short period of time.  But what you may not be prepared for is the raw stories that all surround the Vietnam War era.  I think this is a time that still haunts us.  I know that there has been some healing that has occurred from that time period, but I know that those who served our country in Vietnam saw horrors that we still probably don't fully understand.

As I read these stories, there was something about the writing style that was a little "dry" (for lack of a better term).  I couldn't put my finger on it, but it was not the kind of writing style to which I normally gravitate.  When I read that the author's writing style was reminiscent of Ernest Hemingway, everything made sense!  Yes, that is exactly what the writing style is like, and that explains why I was not a fan.  You see, even though I know Hemingway was a gifted author, I never cared for his writing style, and it was all I could do to read the required Hemingway stories each year in high school.  It is uncanny how similar his and Doyle's styles are, but I will say hers is much more pleasant than his.

Be warned that there is profanity, drugs, and alcohol.  There are some gruesome scenes as well, and those stick with me even now.  Sometimes having a writing style like this is exactly what is needed to convey messages about war and violence.  There were times I shuddered at the descriptions and was horrified at the stories.  And just so you know, not all stories are happy endings.  In fact, most stories are unfinished.

I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.  I was not financially compensated, and all opinions are 100 percent mine.

View all my reviews

Elisabeth Doyle's Bio: 

Elisabeth Doyle is a writer and attorney living in Washington, D.C. She studied fiction writing at Sarah Lawrence College and the University at Albany, and is completing a Masters of Laws Degree at Georgetown University Law Center.  Ms. Doyle’s short fiction was published in the literary journal Nadirand was awarded the University at Albany’s Lovenheim Prize for best short fiction. Her first short film, Hard Hearted One, was admitted into the Philadelphia Festival of World Cinema and the Street Films Film Festival, and was shown on Public Television and Manhattan Cable. War Stories is her first collection of short fiction.

Elisabeth Doyle's Web Site:
http://www.warstoriesshortfiction.com/
Tribute Books Blog Tours Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tribute-Books-Blog-Tours/242431245775186

War Stories blog tour site:
http://warstoriesblogtour.blogspot.com/
Paperback
Price: $14.95
Publisher: Two Harbors Press
ISBN: 9781937928407
Pages: 119
Release: August 7, 2012