Good morning, mid-afternoon, evening and a special hello to
the night owls who seem to be a forgotten bunch, but not here.
This week’s post is a taking a different turn. We all know
women are true masters when it comes to writing love stories and personal
memoirs, but what of men? Yes, men. I’ve had the immense pleasure of meeting
three of these oddities in the world of literature: Harry Leslie Smith, Shawn
Inmon, Rodney Walther and yours truly: Jeff Dawson. Let’s jump right in, shall
we.
Mr. Smith has written one of the most profound stories
circling around WWII. We all know of the glory and the unity that welded the
free world together in order to defeat, Nazi Germany, Fascist’s Italy and
Imperial Japan, but what about behind the scenes for the common man? How did
the war affect him and his family? Mr. Smith pulls no punches. He grows up in
the Northern part of Great Britain, working in the dreary, dangerous coal mines
of Barley Hole. Despite the entire country uniting and producing the weapons of
war to fight the German onslaught, wages (unlike the US) were still barely
sufficient for the common man to eek out a living and support his family.
Realizing the injustice and bleak opportunities, Smith joins the RAF in hopes
of escaping from the poverty surrounding the mines. He serves the Empire
admirably and then winds up in war torn Germany fraternizing with the common
people, who were only trying to survive the “hell” Hitler led the country
through. If I keep typing, I’ll give away too much of the story. How does love
fit in here? He’s going to meet his bride to be.
This is a masterful work all sociologists should consider in
their curriculums.
Review:http://www.amazon.com/review/RIB0OW8K5O3LK/ref=cm_cr_dp_title?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B006382B3C&nodeID=133140011&store=digital-text
How many thought all the posts were going to be about men
loving women and vice-a-versa. No one thought about a father’s love for a son
did they? Come on be honest. I think I saw one hand partially raised. Well, the
next author Rodney Walther has written such a book. Granted, this one is
fiction, but for those of us who played baseball, coached baseball or remember
playing catch with Dad will appreciate this work. Being a single dad I could
relate with this story on many levels.
Have you ever read a story that found you double-taking with
each page? Up until now, I didn’t think it was possible (unless of course the
book was pirated) until now. I received an email a few weeks back. The author
requested I read his book and supply an honest review. I informed it, it would
be at least a month as there were others in line. But something caught my eye.
Something very innocuous. Shawn drove a Vega back in the late 70’s. I know,
that doesn’t sound like a real hook, but in my case, it triggered an old
memory. So, just out of curiosity, I decided to read a chapter. Five hours
later, I was finished. Why? The story he tells and the one I published two
years ago are mirrors of each other with one exception; his has a happy ending.
That aside, the brilliance of his book follows the same
theme as Jaci Bryant’s, “Penny Lane.” Each chapter is not just a trip down
memory in the 70’s, they are devoted to a particular song of the era. For those
of us who grew up during this decade, the book is a tribute to love, life and
music.
Shawn does an excellent job in portraying the love he and
Dawn shared as tender teenagers and then how their love (especially his)
affected future relationships. I could relate to his feelings. Good to know I
wasn’t the only who still held a flame for our first true love. And then the
chance meeting thirty years later at a drive-up window. How would you react if
you unexpectedly ran into an old flame at the drive-in window? And of more
consequence, despite your recognition, did they exhibit the same? Would you try
and make contact again or would you drive away and wonder what could have been?
Last but not least, your host is throwing his book into the
mix. When I read Shawn’s book, I was amazed at the similar paths our lives had
traveled in the arena of love. I was amazed and pleasantly surprised to connect
with someone who experienced many of the same highs and lows with that first
love. Very cool. The main difference between the two works, Shawn is married to
his true love while mine passed away July 20, 2009. Both of our works carry the
same message; Love is Worth a Second Chance.
Even though Debbie and I were only allowed a short seven months
together, the lessons she and her daughters taught me in that short time frame
will never be forgotten. She and her girls reminded me, we work to live, not
live to work. They were the happiest
seven months of life to date.
Book cover
I hope you enjoyed this journey of love through men's eyes. If enjoyed the reviews, please hit the like button after reading them, but more important, if any of the stories have piqued your interest, do the author a favor and click the buy button.
Next week, I think were gonna look at those who delve into globetrotting espionage.
Have a great week!
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