Echoes from the Infantry, Frank Nappi (4 stars)

About Echoes from the Infantry

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
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Pages: 256
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Release: October 13, 2005

Review

Moving from past to present throughout a story can be a difficult task. Too often it results in confusion for the reader. Not so with Echoes from the Infantry. Frank Nappi creates a world where the two characters, father and son, engage the reader in a way that past and present become an intricate and heartfelt dance.

James, a World War II veteran, has seen too much pain and suffering--more than his soul can bear in the day to day. His youngest son, John, just wants a present father--one who plays catch and is there for him. Madeline, the wife and mother, keeps the family together for as long as she can, but a devastating disease takes her way too soon. After, father and son are forced to find their own way to each other.

As John goes through the attic to prepare his family home for sale, he discovers bits and pieces of his father's past and begins to discover who is father really is, and why he's always been so distant. Will it be enough to save their relationship?

Frank Nappi not only weaves past and present, he creates characters the reader can root for and care about. James and his sons exist in a world of pain and longing, and Madeline does all she can to make things better for all of them. In addition, the men James served with each add to the depth of the story. The characters' emotions are palpable and heart-wrenching. 

My only wish was that I could have seen more things through Madeline's eyes, to have that perspective of what their family had gone through. But that's the mom in me.

I highly recommend this novel to readers who want to emotionally invest in characters, and maybe learn something about themselves in the process.

Rating: 4 stars

About Frank Nappi

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.

For more about the author, please visit the following: website, blog, Facebook, Twitter, and GoodReads.

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This is a blog tour, please visit the Echoes from the Infantry blog tour for more stops.

Note: I received a complimentary copy from Tribute Books for review purposes. No other compensation was received. A positive review was not guaranteed or requested; the views expressed are my own.

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