Title: Thunder in the Morning Calm (Pacific Rim Series #1)
Author: Don Brown
Pages: 336
Year: 2011
Publisher: Zondervan
America, America God shed His grace on thee, and crown thy good with brotherhood from sea to shining sea! Perhaps the National Anthem touches your heart and soul deeply like it does mine. We must never forget those who have given their lives, their all for this great country. When reading novels like this one of Don Brown’s, there tends to well within my throat a lump that threatens to bring me to tears. Why? I would say that remembering the real heroes or those still missing in action strikes my heart every time. While having served in the Navy himself, our author writes a compelling tale that spans a couple of generations of one family.
Lt. McCormick has carried a worn photograph of his grandfather in his pocket for many years. Nicknamed “Gunner” McCormick, he is constantly called upon to bring intelligence information to high ranking officials so that the joined forces of America can make the best decisions. Now Gunner is about to risk his career, finances and most of all his life on a search for what many have denied existed. What has been mainly explained away as hearsay are the prisoner camps inside North Korea still holding captive aging military men.
On a bigger scale are the escalating tensions between the North Koreans and the United States on the high seas near China. The resources of the forces cannot help or even know the thoughts and plans of Gunner, but he has to be ready to report aboard the USS Truman if fighting begins. However, Gunner cannot be contacted or located by his commanding officer when he needs his expertise the most!
Just as many Americans said we will never forget 9/11, we cannot forget the many who served our country in the previous wars. The Bible tells us that there is no greater gift than a man lay down his life for a friend, which ran through my mind as I read this fictional tale. Another aspect to the tale is the underground church working in hostile lands, what courage and faith is shown in the characters. May God continue to strengthen and protect the many unknown soldiers of His army to us, but He knows everyone. I look forward to reading the sequel of the Pacific Rim Series titled, Fire of the Raging Dragon. This is more than just a military suspense-filled series, it reflects the difference that faith in God has when one feels forgotten in a foreign land.
My rating is 5 stars.
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Good read/listen. It's plot is a private snatch of 80 year old Korean War POWs...makes you think. The adventure is non-stop even if the plot is a little far fetched; two white guys in "dear leader's" Korea? I liked DeMille's "Charm School" a little better; it's a similar plot in Russia. ( )