I begin this post with tears in my eyes–tears which have welled up as my heart has been taken on a journey of both pain and hope in the reading of this magnificent book. Let me say a few words about that journey.

First of all, in the spirit of complete disclosure, this book is being published by Valor Publishing Group, LLC, the same publishing company which is publishing my own novel in March of 2010. I received the Advanced Readers Copy free of charge. A few months ago, I was asked if I wanted to be part of the Blog Tour by Tristi Pinkston, Senior Editor at Valor, and I eagerly accepted. I am under no obligation to like the book. I am under no obligation to say nice things about the book, even if I do like it. I made no promises of any kind to Tristi or to Valor except for one: I would write a review, and I would be honest. If I were to hate the book, I would say so.

Second, I want all who read this review to know, I struggled with the book at first. The way that the chapters are laid out, with a painfully frequent jumping from one scene and place and year to another, and then back again, and this done several times, made the book a difficult read. I talked with Tristi about my concerns and was told two important things:

1. The final version of the book will have a chronology in it so that the reader can more easily figure out where they are on the timeline, and not get lost in the history.

2. When I asked about certain methods of style employed by the author in the writing, I was encouraged to consider the novel more of a “Dramatized Historical Narrative” than a Historical Fiction Novel. That encouragement helped me to look past the point-of-view changes which I found at times to be confusing.

Now, with those two points in mind, I will give my overall impression of the book.

I found Mark Shurtleff’s writing to be beautifully descriptive, the story enjoyable to read, and the characterization believable. There are times which I felt the book read more like a history textbook than a novel, but I believe that fits well within the description of being a Dramatized Historical Narrative.

The history contained in the book is utterly fascinating. As I read, I kept asking myself, “Why did I not know this? Didn’t I learn about Dred Scott in school?”. Yes, I believe that I did learn a little about him. What the history textbooks wanted me to know, at least. And much of history contained in textbooks since I was a kid is either glossed over, or revisionist with the intent to distort the facts, in my opinion. But I am not here to talk about my conservative political views.

No book is perfect. Even this book, I am sure, has its flaws and incorrect historical facts. It would be an education in itself to try and find them. But, I don’t have the background or the time to research it so that I might verify every single point, and there are thousands of such history facts in this book. Let me say this, if even eighty percent of this book is historically spot-on, the book would then be a treasure trove. And I get the feeling the percentage is much, much higher.

Aside from all of this, I do want to share what the book made me feel…

Dred Scott is a national hero, or he should be.

The pain I felt as I read about his incredible journey through life brought tears to my eyes.

The wonder I felt as I realized that with all of the complexities of men’s lives–intertwining, affecting each other, hampering at times and helping at others, and the barriers which wicked men place in front of those who have a right to seek liberty–that God could still work his wonders through men, whether they realized they were instruments in his hands or not, deeply impressed me.

The admiration I felt as I learned about Dred, his family, the Blows, and the people who wanted to help him, made me to feel the burning fires of patriotism even stronger than I did before, and forever solidified my feelings towards Dred Scott to be the same which I have always felt for Abraham Lincoln: That these men were blessed by God, which blessings in turn, blessed us all.

My final word about the book… Wonderful. I encourage anyone who has a desire to experience the fires of freedom burning within their heart to read this book, one which I believe is destined to be talked about for a good long time. Congratulations to Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff: Well done!

Glenn Beck’s Common Sense: The Case Against an Out-of-Control Government, Inspired by Thomas Paine by Glenn Beck

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book GREATLY impressed me. And it made me very, very angry about the corruption in our government. So much so that I attended the Tea Party gathering at the state capital building today (9/12/09), something I have never done before. Rallies and protests are not generally in my nature. But I have had enough.

I have a word to say to every Senator and Representative in this country: A sleeping giant is awakening. In 2010 and 2012, every single one of you who will not uphold the Constitution, who insists on turning a blind eye to corruption in our government, who refuses to force the Federal Government to stop spending away the futures of our children and grandchildren — WE ARE GOING TO GET RID OF EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU. I hope you like your new job flipping burgers or running a taco stand.

LONG LIVE THE REPUBLIC!

Glenn Beck: Keep up the good work!

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Utah State Attorney General Mark Shurtleff’s ground-breaking new novel, “Am I Not A Man: The Dred Scott Story” is now available for preorder at a reduced price.

An illiterate slave, Dred Scott trusted in an all-white, slave-owning jury to declare him free. But after briefly experiencing the glory of freedom and manhood, a new state Supreme Court ordered the cold steel of the shackles to be closed again around his wrists and ankles. Falling to his knees, Dred cried, “Ain’t I a man?” Dred answered his own question by rising and taking his fight to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Dred ultimately lost his epic battle when the Chief Justice declared that a black man was so inferior that he had “no rights a white man was bound to respect.”

Dred died not knowing that his undying courage led directly to the election of President Abraham Lincoln and the emancipation proclamation.

Dred Scott’s inspiring and compelling true story of adventure, courage, love, hatred, and friendship parallels the history of this nation from the long night of slavery to the narrow crack in the door that would ultimately lead to freedom and equality for all men.

You can order your sale-priced, signed and numbered limited edition copy of “Am I Not a Man” by visiting http://www.valorpublishinggroup.com before Labor Day. There are only 5,000 copies of this special edition being printed and once they’re gone, they’re gone … and the sale price ends on Labor Day. You can request that Mark personalize your inscription, and your book will be mailed to you before the stores even get their copies. For more information, visit http://www.valorpublishinggroup.com

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I am very excited to get my hands on a copy of this book. In our day where judicial activism seems to be rampant and the Constitution of the United States is frequently trampled by those grasping for power, I think the subject matter of this book is very timely. After you read the book, swing back by here later and tell me what you thought of it.

Agent in Old Lace by Tristi Pinkston

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars
This book was a good, fast read. The only thing I didn’t connect with in this book was the kidnapping at the beginning. Perhaps it happened so fast that I didn’t have time to feel the suspense of it build up. Or maybe I was just in a weird mood that day and a nuclear bomb wouldn’t have even phased me. At any rate, my favorite part(s) involved “the agent” having to dress up as the main character’s aunt, and he wasn’t very good at it. Those situational difficulties provide some very funny scenes in the story. I would recommend the book to anybody who likes an fun romantic suspense novel.


View all my reviews.

Here is the review I did on Goodreads:

Because of a great plot idea, interesting characters, and a well written story, I blew through the book in 2 days. Compared to third-person past-tense stories, there are fewer first-person present-tense stories out there, and I have not read many. In fact, I can’t remember the last time I did. And so I was on high-alert when I started the book. Would the author do it right? I must say, after a page or two, I completely forgot about the person/tense being used because the author did such a good job with it. And I don’t recall being distracted during the read. Just my opinion . . . one of the best parts about the book: It was clean.

After I finished the book, I found myself thinking about it several times during the next two days. Even though the book itself was worthy of additional thought cycles, there was something else about it which intrigued me. Something outside the story. Something which made me think about other stories. Other movies. Similar plots.

When my thoughts were gathered and molded, I decided that I wanted to write about this “something else” which had gone through my mind. But I realize there are those people out there which won’t give a hoot about the contrast I am about to highlight (especially since it is a religious concept), so I will take that conversation to my blog. If you are interested in the idea, you can find me on:

http://lachish-letters.blogspot.com

Otherwise, I will end here with a solid recommendation: Great book. I look forward to reading the sequel.

And now my continuation:

Because I wanted to do something quite unique with this review, I read a few other reviews on The Hunger Games to get a feel for what people were saying. For the most part, reviews are very positive. I did find that some reviewers detested the book, saying it was a plagiarized plot line, or world, or concept. Several of them also claimed that other authors did the story-line so much better. But since I have not read any of the books cited, similarities to other works didn’t bother me at all. After all, most books written these days bear some resemblance to other works which are already out there. Plots and characters are similar because they all come from the human experience we share.

So just like the other reviewers, this book also reminded me of many books and movies which I have already read or seen. Certainly not exactly the same. Just similar. Rather than name those which I have experienced, I want you to think about some general themes. Which ones do you recognize? Which have you read or seen?

Post-apocalyptic survival. Degenerate peoples. Governments or organizations which think they have arrived at the highest pinnacle of progress and civility, but in reality are corrupt and depraved. Peoples who are oppressed by those governments/organizations. People who want to escape because they are prisoners of the system. Futuristic places which are described so well and in such a way the reader wonders if that is exactly where we are headed. Stories which are placed in a setting of planet-wide calamity, typically the kind of destruction that mankind brought upon itself.

Do you see the themes? These are themes within The Hunger Games. Already done. And yet I loved the story.

But here is the contrast . . .

I am here to tell you, no matter how bad it gets, The Hunger Games (or any other popular post-apocalyptic title you wish to insert here) is not the way the story ends. Children will not be forced to kill each other for sport under the watchful eye of a post-American government after a widespread calamity.

I am not saying the calamity won’t happen. What I am saying is that after the calamity, there will NOT arise a corrupt government to torment people from a gleaming Capital which outwardly looks like heaven on earth.

It ain’t going to happen.

Take a look at this:

Isaiah 54:11-14
11 O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted, behold, I will lay thy stones with fair colours, and lay thy foundations with sapphires.

Ah, yes. Do you see the foundations? For more description of the capital city, go read the chapter 21 in the book of Revelation. It will truly be a beautiful city. And instead of an arena for child gladiators, “great shall be the peace of thy children”. And this is what we will find:

Revelation 21:4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

Don’t you love that? PEACE. TRUTH. NO FEAR. NO TERROR. NO PAIN. NO TEARS. And all of those thoughts about the total destruction of the human race: Those ideas will “pass away”.

That is the contrast. That is the way it will really happen.

So, although I enjoyed the book immensely, it is just a story. I know how it will really end.

And this ending will be so much better.

Let me know what you think.

While at the LDS Storymakers Conference, I was talking to Tristi Pinkston, and right next to her was sitting the famous Lu Ann Staheli. I say famous because it seems as though I have seen her name in many, many places in the LDS blogosphere. Have I said that LDS Storymakers is the best conference I have ever been to? SUPERB. I met so many cool people there. But I digress . . .

Tristi asked me to do a review of an ARC she had with her, which made my heart skip a beat. Another review? Thank you Tristi! But then, shock of all shocks with which I have ever been shocked: Lu Ann said, “Daron, would you like to do another review?”

Good thing I didn’t fall on the floor dead right then and there. That would have been embarrassing.

Well, Lu Ann, here is the review I just posted on Goodreads. You are a fantabulous writer.

***
When Hearts Conjoin

This is one of the best non-fiction books I have ever read. Even though I knew what the outcome of the story would be as I turned the pages, I was pulling for the Herrin family, especially Erin, as I read about their struggles over all of those long, trial filled years. She is one tough woman. Congratulations to both her and her husband Jake for their beautiful family and the happiness they have found together. What a wonderful testament to forgiveness, love, and miracles. I am sure that Heaven has many special blessings yet in store for them. May God continue to bless the Herrin family!

And as for the co-writer of the book, Lu Ann Staheli, I was mightily impressed by her skill in weaving the tale. This is the first work of hers I have ever read. Only a driving need for sleep allowed me to put the book down, and then only until I knew I had time to finish the other half of the book in one sitting.

Fantastic. Go get this book.

“The Forgotten Warrior” by Kathi Oram Peterson

Forgiveness has never been an attribute of sixteen-year-old Sydney Morgan’s. Loyal and loving to her mother and sister, a crisis forces her to find her absent father, which in turn begins a chain of events leading her to the last place and time she would have ever expected.

The Forgotten Warrior follows Syd as she is transported back to Book of Mormon times by touching a mysterious clear stone. She meets Chief Captain Helaman; nursemaid, Mariah; and the stripling warriors. They believe Syd to be a boy, and worse yet, Helaman’s second-in-command, Tarik, thinks Syd is a Lamanite spy and threatens to kill her.

Come follow Sydney as she desperately tries to find her way back home, fights to gain Helaman’s respect, and despite herself, falls in love with Tarik.

***

I am very appreciative to Kathi and also to Tristi Pinkston (organizer of this Virtual Blog Tour) for letting me get my hands on a crisp copy so I could participate as a reviewer.

No matter how hard I tried to resist (it was an almost conscious resistance), I was pulled into story right away on account of great characters. But I resisted! I resisted because I was waiting for the “time-travel” moment with bated breath. How will Kathi pull this off? I asked myself.

Will it be a re-hash of the old get-lost-in-a-cave, then fall-into-an-underground-river, and then miraculously-fly-back-into-time trick? I have read several books in Chris Heimerdinger’s “Tennis Shoes” series. For that matter, Chris and I are almost brothers. Just like Chris, I grew up in Cody, Wyoming. I have been in the Spirit Mountain Cavern (although I never got sucked back into time). Still: The cave is real. I have been there. So, I have convinced myself that Chris was sucked back into time. How else could he describe how the characters in his books traveled back in time?

This brings me to my point. I also know those clear, white stones existed. The brother of Jared had them. Does anybody know what happened to them? It seems to me that Kathi knows. She must have one of the stones. There is no other explanation.

I declare this a conspiracy! We now have another author who has a way to travel through time to visit the peoples of The Book of Mormon, and she has not volunteered to share her new vacation spot with the rest of us. I demand an investigation.

Where did she get the stone? How long has she had it? What other places has she visited? Why won’t she share? I would like to go! Can we purchase time-shares?

All kidding aside, I enjoyed the book. There are some great characters set in a fun storyline. I really only had two very minor gripes with the book:

1. I found a couple of errors which were missed or introduced in typesetting. With Kathi’s English degree, I am sure she was annoyed too.

2. I hated the ending. Well, hate is perhaps WAY too strong. I was “put out”. I like Syd. I wanted her to march right back into the fray, kick (literally) some more Lamanite butt, and rescue Tarik.

*SIGH* I will have to wait until the next novel in the series. Want a fun read? Go get her book.

If you would like to learn more about Kathi Oram Peterson, or her book, please visit her website:

http://www.kathiorampeterson.com/

or her blogsite:

http://www.kathiswritingnook.com/