Tosca LeeCritiques

A dog chokes by the side of the road in Capernaum. He is rabid and manged. He is foul and unloved. He is more worthy to live than I. If only I had never left Jerusalem as a child. If only Herod had never died. If only I had never laid eyes on the gaunt man by the side of the Jordan. The Nazarene. They will say that I betrayed him, that I reduced his price to thirty shekels. That I turned against my master. They do not know me.

It was a fun story, but in my opinion not as good as the first one, The Line Between. This book felt very one sided (all Wynter) and the characters were flat. Some of the action that drove the plot seemed contrived.

The Long March Home tells the story of three childhood friends who joined the army before World War 2 and found themselves later as prisoners of war in the Pacific theater. The story is told with flashbacks to their growing up in the American South before the war interspersed with their time in the war.

I have been interested in World War 2 for some time, but I wasn’t very versed in the army experience in the Pacific, and even less in the POW experience. The characters go through the Bataan Death March and go through the horrific torture imposed by their Japanese captors. They draw on faith, love for their comrades, and inner courage to survive one of the most horrific war crimes in history.

I consider it a form of gratitude to read about the experience of veterans like these men and to appreciate—even from afar and indirectly—their sacrifice and service. These soldiers were real people, with families, dreams, histories, and futures (all too often cut short by death) before they joined or were sent to fight to save the world from evil.

Marcus Brotherton and Tosca Lee did a good job bringing their characters to life without simplifying or patronizing the memory of the experiences of the men they were based on.

I recommend this to anyone interested in the Pacific experience in the Second World War.

Very entertaining book. Loved the characters and the romance with Claire. The actual writing wasn't brilliant by any means, but the plot/story was very entertaining and it was a fun, quick, read that kept me wanting to continue. Definitely something good to say about a book like this.

This is the third and final book in the Books of Mortals series, and it was my favorite by far. The first two were good, but I did finish them thinking "That was it?" I loved that Jordin was the protagonist in this volume, and identified with her struggle, bitterness, and doubt. Of course, the story-telling was wonderful, as I expected from Dekker and Lee. This is worth the read!

This book was very interesting and I will probably read the 2nd. My main problem with the story is that sometimes the characters did things that made little sense. It was also a dark tale but sometimes the darkness felt very forced. I liked the world though and am interested to see where it goes next.

A gripping WWII story that follows three best friends through the Bataan Death March. The story follows the friends from before the onset of WWII all the way to the beginning of 1946. This book has the action of a Hollywood war epic. The story kept me glued to the pages and I couldn't put it down. This novel gives the reader a close look at the Pacific Front and the peril faced by the American troops who were stationed there.½

This is only 16 pages and sets up the world of the Forbidden series. Very well done.

The story is told from the time in the Pacific in 1942 with flashbacks to their time back in Alabama growing up in the late 1930s in Alabama. The story unfolds more and more as the memories come. It is a remarkably well written story!

I am not one to choose a war story. For some reason I could not pass this one up. It is one of the most fascinating books I have ever read. For a Christian publishing company it is really outside the norm. It is real. It is gritty. I could not put this thing down!

It packed a punch. I suspect this is a story I won't easily forget. It is haunting and thought provoking and has brought me to a deeper respect for those who served our nation in such atrocious circumstances. War is ugly and evil and no one comes out unscathed. But God...

I was thrilled to be a part of this blog tour with Revell Publishing. The book was sent to me free of charge from the publisher and I was only asked to give an honest review.

This is a story of three friends from Mobile Alabama, one of whom is the brother of Claire, the girl secretly loved by the other two boys. Before the start of WW2, they all join the Army in hopes of a better life than what they have in Mobile. They are sent to the Philippians where life is good until Pearl Harbor after which the Japanese turn their attention to the Philippians. These friend experience first hand the atrocities the Japanese did on their prisoners. They survive the Bataan Death march but they're not prepared for what waits them in the POW camps. This book is base on true events and some of the descriptions are not for the squeamish. A powerful novel of the war in the Pacific.

Based on true events, this was about three friends who went to serve their country in 1941 during world War !! and served at the Bataan Death march and were prisoners. What a story of friendship, love and Godliness. It seems that little has been shown about this Death March so hopefully this book will open many eyes. The sorrow and the horror that they endured was painstakingly horrendous! I personally knew a person who was in the March and prisoner of war!

This was an incredibly eye-opening, moving historical novel. The history books talk a lot about WWII from the perspective of Pearl Harbour, but I had (perhaps embarrassingly) never heard of the Bataan Death March and the fighting in the Philippines. It was definitely not easy to read - very graphic, upsetting topics are portrayed, as one would expect - but I think this was a very important read. I learned a lot and really appreciate the author shedding light on this dark time in history. 5 stars.

I enjoyed this book very much. The author wrote in such a way that I felt like I was experiencing the events as they were taking place. It was a good book and I would recommend it.

This book is based on a series of true stories. It tells the story of friends who joined the military to find a better life. After joining, things seemed to be ok but when the war really started to ramp up they saw more than they ever thought that they ever expected. The friends stuck together and worked at helping each other to survive in more ways than one. The horrors they saw and things they had to endure could only happen with the help of each other.
I was aware of many of the things that went on during WWII but it is always interesting to see it from a first person point of view. A story you will definitely want to schedule time to finish

I recommend having lots of tissues available when reading this story. I loved that this WWll story takes place in the South Pacific and I learned a lot of history that I had never known before. I loved Jimmy, Hank and Billy. I loved how this story was told. I received a copy of the book from the publisher for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

On a road trip this month, I picked up The Line Between & A Single Light in audiobook from my local library. It was fortuitous because while I had read the first book in the series, I was only able to get the second in audiobook format. We had 17 hours of windshield time to fill but did not think it was fair to make everyone else in the car listen to the 2nd book in the series since they would have no idea of the backstory and why things were happening. So, my 77-year-old mother and 13-year-old daughter also listened to the audiobooks with me.
I am happy to report that all three of us were captivated by the story and it made the drivetime fly. The character development was spot on, Ms. Lee took a sheltered heroine and turned her into a true Hero, not just for women but for all the world. I loved that when listening to these books I didn't have to worry that the storyline was filled with subject matter that I was embarrassed to hear with my mother sitting next to me or that my daughter was not ready for.

Overall:
These books have everything a family could want in an audiobook series. There was snappy dialogue, fast passed action, heart breaking loss and feel-good moments.
The writing is brilliant—even after I finished the last chapter I was dying for more, I wanted to know what happened even after the happily ever after.
I don't want to go all series-fan-girl, but I really hope that Ms. Lee makes another in this series so that I can see her vision for the reboot of society.

Audio:
Perfect narration, very well 5-star performance. The narrator Cassandra Campbell exceeded expectations and was able to infuse each character's dialogue with perfect inflection.

Recommend?

I recommend to anyone who likes strong female characters as well as those who are looking for audiobooks to listen to as a family. All ages will enjoy.

Disclaimer
I received via the OverDrive/Libby app from the Harris County or Houston Public Library system. It was read as an Audiobook in the Libby App on Kindle Fire.

This is such a powerful story, but the subject is one that I knew little about before reading this book. I've long known about Pearl Harbor and America's involvement in WWII, but I was totally ignorant about the largest surrender of American troops in history, on the Bataan Peninsula, and the Bataan Death March that followed. Thankfully, two respected authors decided that a story needed to be told, and the results of their collaboration are pure magic!

Authors Marcus Brotherton and Tosca Lee use a dual timeline plot in The Long March Home. The present-day story revolves around the sacrificial war efforts of three friends from Alabama, and the past story relates the happenings that led them to this service. Three young men with different dreams and a strong female character with ties to them all were forever changed by choices that were made in Mobile, Alabama! The Long March Home is an emotional narrative of friendship, young love, and the discovery that the right choices aren't always obvious. It's also a touching chronicle of the pain and hardships that these soldiers endured during battle, their experiences as prisoners of war, and their valiant efforts to return to the life they'd left behind. Many of the war scenes are painful to read but they're needed to remind all of us about the high cost of freedom. I highly recommend this riveting war story to all who enjoy historical fiction!

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. There was no obligation for a positive review. These are my own thoughts.

I first have to say that The Long March Home is a must-read novel. It is so many things — a coming-of-age story, a tribute to those who sacrificed for their nation and world. a riveting account of an historical event — but it really goes much deeper than that. It explores the triumph of the human spirit, the love one has for a brother born not of blood, but of shared experiences, and search for purpose in the midst of hell. The book has two narratives, both in the voice of Jimmy Propfield. We get his growing up recollections in a past tense POV, and the present tense experiences of three childhood friends who are not quite men forced to endure extreme hardship and brutality. The structure of the novel is important and really works to get the whole of who the characters were and became. The chapters featuring their childhood also help relieve some of the intensity of the war scenes. Jimmy, Hank, and Billy grow up in Mobile, Alabama during the Depression. They impulsively enlist in the Army for varying reasons prior to America’s entrance into WWII. They land in paradise — boot camp in the Philippines. That is, until December 7, 1941. I was woefully ignorant of just what happened when the Japanese were successful in bombing Pearl Harbor. It was not the only serious Allied defeat that month. The Long March Home is an excellent historical account including fictional and historical figures. It reveals the horrors of war, the atrocities perpetrated by the Japanese, and the astonishing bravery of American soldiers and the people of the Philippines. The war is ever present in the book — it spans days leading up to the attack through the end of the war. Jimmy, Hank, and Billy are larger-than-life characters that are realistically drawn. Their struggles, doubts, fears are relatable to the modern reader. Their story gives insight into the character of those real men who lived through the nightmare of Japanese POW camps. As you can imagine, the will to live ebbs and flows. But strength was shared between the three men ensuring some bit of survival. Lives are changed irreparably, but not always for the worse. There is healing and hope.

The Long March Home was an emotional read for me. It drew me in immediately and never really let me go. I’m still thinking about it days after finishing. I believe it will stay with me forever. It gets a very rare Very Highly Recommended rating. I also strongly recommend you read this with your book club or reading buddy. I will be pressuring my husband to read it in the coming days. 😉

Very Highly Recommended.

Great for Book Clubs.

Audience: Adults (please note this book does not shy away from the brutality of war)

A gripping story of three friends who face a war that brings them face to face with danger. I did like that we go from past to present and read how these four grew up together and how different their backgrounds were. Several times I felt like crying as one of them faced the loss of a parent. The emotional journey is deep in this story as the authors slowly open each character with a look at their family life and how they changed as they went off to war.

As we move forward to their time fighting against the enemy, we discover the pain of watching those they serve lose their lives. There were days when there was very little food to go around which made it difficult to keep their strength up. Can you imagine having to stand guard all night knowing that at any minute the enemy could take you out. I was surprised at how young most of them were. Parents back home were desperate for letters from their boys but the mail was sparse at times. I could hear the continuous bullets in the air and planes that were able to destroy areas in minutes.

I did find the book hard to read at times with graphic details of what they ate to survive. In dark times, they had to eat to keep up their strength but it was hard for me to get that picture out of my head. I have to say that war is not pretty and this book does a good job of showing readers the truth of how it could be during this war that claimed many lives. Survival was the most important thing in those moments when faced with the enemy staring right at you. The research done for this book is evident as details reflect what we have read in history books.

The book does bring attention to what many people suffered as they became prisoners of war. The three friends are determined that they will all come home alive. Their journey is filled with pain, determination and hope. The authors give us a story that is realistic and a theme of never giving up.

I received a copy of this book from Revell Reads. The review is my own opinion.

I knew it. I just knew it. I knew this book would break my heart….and it did.
The Long Walk Home is a tale of three boys, their families and the Battle of Bataan.

Picture Alabama in 1930: four kids some related, some not; two best friend mothers and two fathers, one a pastor and one a mechanic. Graduation comes as does WWII. Changes in their lives. Enlistment seems like a great idea to help them escape Alabama and memories.

So off to war go three of the four and they have the unlucky adventure of landing in Manila, bound for Bataan. Any student of history knows that things go downhill from there.

The book tells of the three friends and how they survived midst horrible torture, mind games and lack of water, food and hope. It came out on May 5 and, as far as I’m concerned it is a must read. For understanding if nothing else.

The Long March Home: A World War II Novel of the Pacific is a fabulous read. I have not read too many World War II novels that cover the Pacific side of the war. I was fascinated with the story. The historical details were so vivid, I felt like I was right there within the action. I loved Hank, Jimmy, and Bill‘s story.
I am giving The Long March Home: A World War II Novel of the Pacific a very well deserved five plus stars. I believe fans and lovers of historical fiction, particularly those from the second world war, will definitely want to snatch this one up.
I received a hard cover copy of The Long March Home: A World War II Novel of the Pacific from the publisher, but was not required to write a positive review. This review is one hundred percent my own honest opinion.

The Long March Home by Marcus Brotherton and Tosca Lee is a powerful dual timeline story that takes place in Alabama in the 1930’s and the Philippines and Japan in the 1940’s. With all the stories being written about WWII, this one stands out as being one of very few based on the American soldiers being held prisoners in Japan. This story is so well written the parts that deal with the war were hard for me to read. The closeness of the three men kept me reading to find out what would happen to them. Knowing this story was inspired by true events, it is very plain that our soldiers who returned home from this situation, did so only by the grace of God.

There are several things that stand out to me in this story. One being when Jimmy is interviewed after being released, he is threatened with court martial because the interviewer cannot believe he lived through all he endured. Another is the conversation he had with Hank’s father when he returns home and the advise he is given.

I especially enjoyed the parts of the men’s life as they were growing up. They all were tied to Claire in some way, and they all loved her. I enjoyed reading of the things they did and the closeness of Jimmy and Clair’s families. I felt sorry for her with how she was treated after the war started due to her keeping the secret that she is married and with child.

I voluntarily received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell Reads Blogger Program, this is my honest review.

RIVETING WWII NOVEL!

The Long March Home is a riveting WWII novel. It is presented in a way I appreciate – inspired by true stories. It is a novel you will never forget reading that tells the story of three boys on the brink of manhood and their friendship, sacrifice, and the power of unrelenting hope. Three young boys from Mobile, AL, signed up for different motives, and they all signed up together, vowing to stick together to the end. Upon their arrival in the Philippines, it seemed like paradise. December 8, 1941, changed everything as enemy warplanes attacked Luzon. This attack marked the beginning of the Battle of the Pacific Theatre. What these three endured over the next four years is challenging to read about, but documents have proven these stories accurate. They would become part of the horrific Bataan Death March. This is a riveting WWII novel of brotherhood, sacrifice, and the hope of surviving to return home to loved ones.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by Revell and NetGalley. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own and without influence.

This WWII novel was so good and unlike the other historical war novels I have read so far. Based in the Philippine Islands, this novel follows three teenage boys who sign up to fight for their country and have no idea the horrors they are about to face. Sent to the Pacific Ocean, it hardly seems a war is happening and then they are all but forgotten once under attack. This novel was so well written and with so much raw emotion that it brought me to the brink of tears many times. It was unfathomable to think of these things actually happening, and I really had no idea this was going on in that area during this time. The authors did such an amazing job writing the three boys stories, as well as integrating life back at home and those who were awaiting their return and really having no idea of what they were dealing with or going through. The writing and scenery was so well done, I felt like I was fighting the fight right along with the boys and felt their pain. This is one story of the war, that will probably forever stick with me. Thank you to the Revell Reads for the free novel. This review is of my own opinion and accord.

This book has all the feels; family, young love and the horrors of a war. Three young friends enlist in WWII never dreaming they would be taken prisoner by the Japanese. The book recounts the unimaginable life of the men taken POW in the Bataan Death March.

Great book! Thank you Library Thing for a copy for my review.