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A review by halkid2
The Time Keepers by Alyson Richman
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Author Alyson Richman never disappoints; she's one of my favorites. THE TIME KEEPERS, a novel about the, is her latest and so full of heart and soul, I am compelled to give it five stars.
This is a multi-dimensional look at the Vietnam War (1955 - 1975), from the perspective of people who experienced it in vastly different ways:
• Anh and Bao (aunt and nephew) show us the hardship they experienced in Vietnam during the war.
• We witness a harrowing tale of what many of the 800,000 boat people experienced when they risked all to leave Vietnam at the end of the war, when North Vietnam took over the South.
• Jack, a Marine, illustrates the American soldier's experience fighting in the unpopular war and its lingering consequences on his life once he returns home.
• There's also the Golden family (Tom, Grace, Katie, and Molly) who show the best of what Americans at home did for returning vets.
• And others who illustrate the worst of what Americans at home did to returning vets.
Richman's considerable skill in weaving these well-researched stories together is what makes THE TIME KEEPERS such a rich and deeply emotional novel. The book does move back and forth in time, shifting from character to character (a technique I find to be overused and annoying). But those time and story shifts seem to work and did not detract from my involvement with the characters. Instead, I came to care so deeply for them. So much so that I cried at the end. Don't miss this one.
This is a multi-dimensional look at the Vietnam War (1955 - 1975), from the perspective of people who experienced it in vastly different ways:
• Anh and Bao (aunt and nephew) show us the hardship they experienced in Vietnam during the war.
• We witness a harrowing tale of what many of the 800,000 boat people experienced when they risked all to leave Vietnam at the end of the war, when North Vietnam took over the South.
• Jack, a Marine, illustrates the American soldier's experience fighting in the unpopular war and its lingering consequences on his life once he returns home.
• There's also the Golden family (Tom, Grace, Katie, and Molly) who show the best of what Americans at home did for returning vets.
• And others who illustrate the worst of what Americans at home did to returning vets.
Richman's considerable skill in weaving these well-researched stories together is what makes THE TIME KEEPERS such a rich and deeply emotional novel. The book does move back and forth in time, shifting from character to character (a technique I find to be overused and annoying). But those time and story shifts seem to work and did not detract from my involvement with the characters. Instead, I came to care so deeply for them. So much so that I cried at the end. Don't miss this one.