Birth of a (Small) Nation Part 1: We'll Remember Always Independence Day
 | Average Customer Rating: Recommend The continuing story of a young American living as a fugitive on the Isle of St. Margaret's, he has survived the court-martial (“The Flight Lieutenant's Court Martial - Part 2”) and is freed from its burdens in time to resume his duties with the Air Militia on the very eve of Independence. This story follows the island and its people through Independence Day (April 15, 1973) and beyond. Everyone expects all out fighting… Product details and pricing info |
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3 Customer Reviews Posted
- With Island Adventure Boiling & Roiling, Who Needs Paradise?
- We've now got a boiling, roiling island adventure, up and running, with every type of intrigue imaginable, from the political machinations of a new nation being born, the romantic conflicts between Cassell's old and new life, the sub-cultural interests within a variety of native lifestyles of interestingly primitive ways which make an intriguing type of sense within the context of the novel.
Oh yeah, and we also find out how Cassell has earned a magic touch with Nat Webster, the leader of the communist NLP; and how Colgate, the current leader of the soon to be born new nation, is planning to make political use of that "magic touch."... with Cassell, of course, at pivotal points of all vortices of the coming storms, brewing through human strife, and through the nature of an island in an Uncertain Paradise: 1973 (the title of the novel telling the whole story behind this and three other Amazon Shorts series).
The opening paragraphs of, "We'll Remember Always Independence Day," reminded me how effectively and efficiently all of Cassell's novels recap previous plot action and time-frames; and how well he balances the home fires scenes with the adventure machinations. Most novels seem to favor either cozy scenes or frenzied momentum, aiming toward a female or male audience. Those rarer novels which successfully capture both genders seem to launch slowly and steadily into the mainstream reading audiences, then to endure on bookshelves through ages and millenniums. That timing is in contrast to the blockbuster hit which flies into oblivion without pause, at the same speed as its launch.
Also of highly effective regularity in Cassell's novels is his quick, easy establishment of the setting and theme for the current chapter.
These skills seem to require an intuitive mixing of a Right-Brain capacity for inspired storytelling, into a trained Left-Brain-focus of precision prioritization and logistical organization. Here again, in this Amazon Short, the reader receives that rare wholeness which makes a good tale into a live-in novel for a variety of reading tastes, thereby capturing a large portion of the novel-buying marketplace.
Here's an example of the above observations:
>> Sybil and I had been enjoying an afternoon swim at our beach house. I was scheduled to report to the 'airbase', as the old Hayes Airstrip was now somewhat hopefully called, at 1600. First the mission, then the court-martial had caused me to be out of touch with the frenzy of pre-Independence Day activities that had gripped the island in the past month. A lot had changed... <<
Certain types of word choices give the signature of a season author; from the above quote note how "frenzy" works with "gripped"; in a later paragraph observe how this description conjures visions as well as chuckles, "... my landings still has everyone diving for the silt trenches..."
Here we get a good bit of character development of Sybil, along with warm insights into Cassell's personality as he settles into island life and begins to feel a solid sense of belonging. The "for-better-and-for-worse" sides of the ocean cocoon begin to settle in.
The "for better" was quickened with descriptions like this of a playful afternoon swim , "... squinting across the millions of sparkles the shimmering afternoon topical sun had placed in the turquoise waters."... with descriptions of the outside showerheads to wash off beach sand... of the no television blessing of "foregoing the nightly yammering about Watergate..."
The "for worse" was detailed by food limitations to canned meat and boxed frozen chicken , expired cheese... by not cozy dengue fever outbrakes... by the expressed necessity of not too dependable mosquito nets hanging over beds... by the pervasive mud in the New Britain barracks area enhanced by a hilarious drunk scene for Cassell's first touch by Kifo, cocoanut milk liquor.
The backyard barbeque at the neighbor's home on the eve of Independence, hosted by a leader of the communist party, exposed one of Cassell's signature good qualities, as detailed by Perkins in another of Cassell's signature library visits enthralling the reader throughout a significant conversation with a powerful man, by all rights an enemy, yet a tentative type of respect is established. As Perkins observes, "It's a rare gift you have... Accepting people as they are... able to enjoy the qualities you admire... able to overlook the qualities you detest."
Exquisite action scenes literally fly by with the flights made by Cassell escorting Lt. Colonel Jones to and from a meeting with Captain DeFreeze at New Britain, in which Cassells aircraft skills are suspect, but prove adequate, alternatively with delightful humor or wide-eyed horror, with the return flight spotting a boat and structures (which quickly disappear under a camouflage net) on a shoreline which was supposed to have none.
Lots of military intrigue is seeded into this chapter, from which to launch the remainder of the book's plot-lines, the most intriguing to me being the sketchy introduction of the mysterious "Stone Age" settlements in the Heartlands and the two rival plantations who war against each other as much as against the encroachment of the guerillas.
With respect for well wrought entertainment with depth and complexity,
Linda Shelnutt
Shelnutt is the author of several Kindle books and Amazon Shorts, including The Rose and the Pyramid. - 2008-04-27, 7 of 10 people found this review helpful, Rated:
- The Tension Builds...
- Independence day is getting close and the Militia "is taking a hard look at its deployment in anticipation of heavy fighting". Combining both humor and drama, Cassell paints a vivid portrait of the island and its political and military personalities standing on the cusp of a dream that makes you feel, first, that you're standing in the mud of New Britain, the Malaria capital of the Caribbean, then sitting in Norbert Perkins' posh library on Mantilla Heights,then at John and Sybil's fabulous beach house in New Gatwick.
Wonder if they sell Kifo anywhere? - 2007-07-05, 6 of 6 people found this review helpful, Rated:
- Must Read
- John W. Cassell proves once more that he is a very gifted writer. I love reading his work. And as always, I was not let down. Five stars!
- 2007-07-02, 6 of 6 people found this review helpful, Rated:
