The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! 😌
kaje_harper's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this very slow burn story of a pair of WWI veterans coping with the disabilities left in the wake of their service. Jersey lost a leg, and he's struggling to regain his independence and self-worth. As a farm boy, many of the tasks he used to do are now impossible, and his awareness of what he has lost makes him frustrated and somewhat bitter. Shell shock (PTSD) keeps him jumpy and then irritated with himself for his strong reactions to mundane surprises. He faces frequent painful nightmares, and deeply mourns the loss of his best friend on the battlefield.
It would be easy for Jersey to retreat into seclusion. Luckily he has family who are willing to push him a little, and encourage him to do more. When a job is posted asking for a companion and assistant to a nearby veteran, they encourage Jersey to take it. Honest work he can manage to do is the beginning of coming back to life for Jersey. Meeting and getting to know Frank is the other piece of regaining his determination and strength.
Frank suffered head trauma, and has lost his long-term memory. Every day, he has to be reminded who he is, who the grandparents he lives with are, and what is going on in his life. He can do simple farm chores by rote, but he drifts off topic and cannot remember details ten minutes later. Jersey is hired to keep Frank company, to remind him when he forgets, and to encourage him to get out more. Despite the obstacle of meeting Jersey afresh every morning, Frank begins to find him familiar, his voice soothing, and his presence an anchor in a confusing world.
Unfortunately, Frank's grandmother Eddy is a narrowminded woman whose prejudices and selfishness govern the farm and the lives of her husband and Frank. She becomes angry over Jersey's real name, Jerry (the term used by Americans for the German enemy in the war) and his perceived deceptiveness. She fires Jersey before the men can really get their friendship onto a sound footing. Still, they are drawn together in undeniable ways. Eddy's unwillingness to tell Frank anything about his past, his dead parents, or even the branch of his service, push the two men on a journey to discover more of Frank's roots and experiences. As they travel, they learn more of not only who Frank was, but of who both of them are.
This was a very slow burn, of necessity given the era, the fact that they shared living spaces with older family, and Frank's inability to retain more than vague feelings and shadows from one day to the next. I really appreciated the historical flavor, and the way the story developed at the pace it needed to for realism. The prose is a little cool and matter-of-fact. It fits the era and the style of the men involved, but means the book doesn't have quite the level of emotional impact it might have, given the subject matter. I enjoyed the read very much, but didn't ache and feel for the characters in their worst moments. Still, if you like a historical tale of real men overcoming difficult obstacles and finding in each other the matching half of a far stronger whole, check this one out.
(A style note - the POV shifts frequently, in varied-length sections, between the two men. It's not head-hopping; each section has a solid POV, but the only marker of each POV change is just the first word of a paragraph in all caps - "WHAT am I going to do?" ... If the formatter had added an extra line of space before it, or other indicator, it would have smoothed the read. But if you go into the book aware of the all-caps marker, it will make following the POV shifts easier. I sympathize, having had formatting rules at one pub that made POV shifts more obscure in my books.)
It would be easy for Jersey to retreat into seclusion. Luckily he has family who are willing to push him a little, and encourage him to do more. When a job is posted asking for a companion and assistant to a nearby veteran, they encourage Jersey to take it. Honest work he can manage to do is the beginning of coming back to life for Jersey. Meeting and getting to know Frank is the other piece of regaining his determination and strength.
Frank suffered head trauma, and has lost his long-term memory. Every day, he has to be reminded who he is, who the grandparents he lives with are, and what is going on in his life. He can do simple farm chores by rote, but he drifts off topic and cannot remember details ten minutes later. Jersey is hired to keep Frank company, to remind him when he forgets, and to encourage him to get out more. Despite the obstacle of meeting Jersey afresh every morning, Frank begins to find him familiar, his voice soothing, and his presence an anchor in a confusing world.
Unfortunately, Frank's grandmother Eddy is a narrowminded woman whose prejudices and selfishness govern the farm and the lives of her husband and Frank. She becomes angry over Jersey's real name, Jerry (the term used by Americans for the German enemy in the war) and his perceived deceptiveness. She fires Jersey before the men can really get their friendship onto a sound footing. Still, they are drawn together in undeniable ways. Eddy's unwillingness to tell Frank anything about his past, his dead parents, or even the branch of his service, push the two men on a journey to discover more of Frank's roots and experiences. As they travel, they learn more of not only who Frank was, but of who both of them are.
This was a very slow burn, of necessity given the era, the fact that they shared living spaces with older family, and Frank's inability to retain more than vague feelings and shadows from one day to the next. I really appreciated the historical flavor, and the way the story developed at the pace it needed to for realism. The prose is a little cool and matter-of-fact. It fits the era and the style of the men involved, but means the book doesn't have quite the level of emotional impact it might have, given the subject matter. I enjoyed the read very much, but didn't ache and feel for the characters in their worst moments. Still, if you like a historical tale of real men overcoming difficult obstacles and finding in each other the matching half of a far stronger whole, check this one out.
(A style note - the POV shifts frequently, in varied-length sections, between the two men. It's not head-hopping; each section has a solid POV, but the only marker of each POV change is just the first word of a paragraph in all caps - "WHAT am I going to do?" ... If the formatter had added an extra line of space before it, or other indicator, it would have smoothed the read. But if you go into the book aware of the all-caps marker, it will make following the POV shifts easier. I sympathize, having had formatting rules at one pub that made POV shifts more obscure in my books.)
the_novel_approach's review against another edition
4.0
Strangely enough, for someone who doesn’t care much for historicals, I rather enjoyed this one. I found the time period very interesting, and I liked Frank and Jersey, even with their disabilities, and loved how they anchored each other. It was kind of fun watching them figure out they like each other, during a time period that it was a big no-no to come right out and say, “I’m gay!”
See the entire review at The Novel Approach: http://thenovelapproachreviews.com/2013/11/13/sometimes-healing-can-be-found-in-the-door-behind-us/
See the entire review at The Novel Approach: http://thenovelapproachreviews.com/2013/11/13/sometimes-healing-can-be-found-in-the-door-behind-us/
mousegoddess's review
5.0
precisely what i needed after a shitty week. pacing was impeccable imho. recommend.
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