The Keeper's Son

Rating:
Summary: Something for Everyone
Review: In his seventh book Homer Hickam expertly blends facts and fiction to entertain his readers with a love story set in some of the darkest days of US history. This is very different from Mr. Hickam's successful memoir books such as Rocket Boys but is a book that this reader believes will appeal to both men and women alike and earn him a new group of fans. The main plot revolves around Josh Thurlow, son of the lighthouse keeper, and Dosie Crossan, who has returned to the island to find herself. Years before, Josh's baby brother had been lost at sea and throughout his life, Josh had blamed himself. His every thought and decision in life was painted with the brush of guilt and an attempt at redemption for his actions. The book has a large cast of characters including Krebs, a German U-Boat commander with a conscience and Vogel, a Nazi commander without one, Harro, a young seaman under Krebs' command, Doc Folsom, the island's doctor, Willow, the local "hoo-doo," and Rex Stewart, a Hollywood cowboy stuntman ineligible for the draft but 'drafted' nonetheless into the coastal horse patrol. Even though Otto is the enemy, he and Josh form a strange bond and respect each other professionally. And though Josh doesn't know it, Otto may hold the key to his brother's disappearance. This book is well researched with wonderful characters. The action holds your attention and shows a realistic picture of life at sea. It also describes day-to-day life on a remote island with such realism that you can smell the salt air and feel the sand in your shoes. Mr. Hickam writes with such attention to detail that the climactic battle scene will have you gripping the arms of your chair. The Keeper's Son should appeal to everyone. It has history, romance, local color and charm, eccentric characters and battles on land and sea. It will be a great book for the upcoming cooler weather. Curl up in your favorite chair with a cup of hot chocolate and be entertained and educated. This is the first book in a series and I anxiously look forward to the next book.

Rating:
Summary: Romance and Adventure
Review: Truly a novel of romance and adventure, but, unhappily for some,
"romance" is the dominant theme.
The novel takes place in the years before WWII, and it then
travels into WWII and some awful events. But through it all,
the author makes most of his characters very nice people, regardless of which side they are on in the war, and in his
world, nearly everyone tried hard, and they are honest, with
redeeming values.
He obviously ignores the reality of the world we live in, and
even the world of the Depression and of WWII.
The action takes place in and around one of the small outer banks islands off the coast of N.Carolina, and the characters
are mainly those islanders whose lives revolve around the ocean,
fishing, boating, salvaging wreckage, etc.
The hero, Josh, is "the keeper's son", but it turns out he isn't
the only such son, and a possible 2nd son appears out of further
away than "nowhere," and our imagination has to be stretched rather far to follow the logic and storyline of this novel.
For example, even the Germans operating the U boats off our Atlantic coast, and sinking many boats with much loss of life,
are shown to be patriotic in their own way, and we are supposed
to have the American view that they aren't really such bad fellows after all.
A good deal of suspension fo belief is required here, even more
than typical novels, and it is a bit much for many.
But the author handles his premise nicely, and he weaves a
coherent, flowing story.