Review: Rice Paddy Stew and Saigon Tea

Rice Paddy Stew and Saigon Tea by Kerry "Doc" Pardue
My rating: 0 of 5 stars

MWSA Review

Rice Paddy Stew and Saigon Tea is a combination of verse and prose. The verse is extraordinary—heartbreaking in places, thoughtful in others. In its entirety, the book explores the impact of war that follows young soldiers home after the fighting is over, whether they are dead or alive when they make that journey. For example, the first poem, “A Brand New Day,” is determined and hopeful, ending with these lines:

“Today is a guide to build upon future days
I choose to respect life
I choose to be more loving and kind
I choose to be loving in word and deed
I choose to begin with changing me
I choose to be thankful for events in my life even PTSD
I choose by loving me.”

Certain lines make the reader smile, like in a poem called “Chris Jackson,” where the poet ponders what a friend might be doing now: “As I think of you in Heaven I know you will make the Angels blush and/St. Peter will shake his head when he hears them complain and/ All he can say is that Chris Jackson acting up again?”

There are stories about old vets and young, some who made it home and some who didn’t. Coming from a medic who tried to rescue them all, each battlefield loss is painful and the reader can feel the author’s ongoing personal connection with the many ghosts of war.

One poem is especially vivid. “In the Shadow of The Blade” is about a Huey Helicopter, #091. It begins: “We were soldiers brave and true/ Who rode upon you in our youth.” It ends with: “After fifty years it is time for both of us to rest/ We both know we did our best our story is finally complete/ For we are HOME at last.”

Other poems—like “Why Do the Good Ones Die So Young” or “Your Life Made a Difference to Me” or “Wrong Place at the Wrong Time”—make the reader put down the book for a moment and think about the ghosts who haunt this author. Perhaps the most poignant of all, “We Lost Another Corpsman/Medic Today,” will haunt his readers.

Review by Joyce Faulkner (June 2020)

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Review: At Daddy's Hands: Courage Knows No Age

At Daddy's Hands: Courage Knows No Age by Jacob Paul Patchen
My rating: 0 of 5 stars

MWSA Review

Author Jacob Paul Patchen has given us a soul-searching story in his book, At Daddy's Hands, Courage Knows No Age.

This is a story of a family suffering physical and sexual abuse at the hands of the husband and father. Author Patchen, an experienced case manager in a mental and behavioral health facility for adjudicated youths, has applied his knowledge and work experience in writing this book. He has seen this in the real world. Although a work of fiction, the book brings home the brutal reality of life in a home ruled by a monster. It also addresses the harsh reality of a society and a legal system where proving such abuse can often be hard. Once the entire family is broken, can there be any escape? In many ways, this was a hard book for me to read. I knew it was a work of fiction, but my heart still went out to this family. This book covers a topic many of us don't want to face, but we need to. I recommend this book.

Review by Bob Doerr (June 2020)

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Review: At Daddy's Hands: Courage Knows No Age

At Daddy's Hands: Courage Knows No Age by Jacob Paul Patchen
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Review: Rice Paddy Stew and Saigon Tea

Rice Paddy Stew and Saigon Tea by Kerry "Doc" Pardue
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Review: WHEN HEROES FLEW

WHEN HEROES FLEW by H.W. "Buzz" Bernard
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Review: Dark Angel

Dark Angel by Joseph Badal
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Review: Plans that Made God Laugh: A Tale of Aviation, Perseverance and Faith

Plans that Made God Laugh: A Tale of Aviation, Perseverance and Faith by CAPT Jim “Bluto” Allen USN
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Review: The Jøssing Affair

The Jøssing Affair by J.L. Oakley
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Review: Money Eater: Bernard Otto Kuehn: A True Story about A Pearl Harbor Spy

Money Eater: Bernard Otto Kuehn: A True Story about A Pearl Harbor Spy by Valarie J Anderson
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Review: Haboob Wind

Haboob Wind by Tommy Anderson
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Review: A Lion's Share

A Lion's Share by Brad Graft
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Review: Enchantment: Book 3 in the Maagy Series

Enchantment: Book 3 in the Maagy Series by Virginia Burton Stringer
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Review: You Are Always With Me: A Poem for Those at Home When a Loved One Deploys

You Are Always With Me: A Poem for Those at Home When a Loved One Deploys by Daniel L. Berry
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Review: Mayhem 337: Memoir of a Combat Advisor in Afghanistan

Mayhem 337: Memoir of a Combat Advisor in Afghanistan by Chad Rickard
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Review: House de Gracie

House de Gracie by Dennis Maulsby
My rating: 0 of 5 stars

MWSA Review

Dennis Maulsby’s House de Gracie is an excellent mix of fantasy fiction and military action that will leave the reader wanting more.

Hugh de Gracie is a worn out, half-blind, shot up military officer who is out of the Army because of his injuries. He doesn’t have long to live, and so he returns to the family mansion to live out his remaining days. While home, he learns two important things. First, being home has completely cured him of any illness, and second, he has started a blood feud with the family of terrorists he killed when escaping Taliban activity. As he learns more of his family history, he realizes that the timelines don’t make sense. His father should be MUCH older than he looks. More and more, as Hugh learns that things are not what they seem, he is hurtling down a path of reckoning with a Muslim fanatic that will see much bloodshed by both families.

While I am not a fan of fantasy fiction, I am a fan of military fiction, and I love how Maulsby weaves both together to create one of the most unique stories I have ever read. The story seems perfectly plausible, even though it shatters the normal boundaries of time and the human relationship with nature. It’s very well done, and a fun read besides. I am absolutely hoping for a sequel!

Review by Rob Ballister (June 2020)

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Review: House de Gracie

House de Gracie by Dennis Maulsby
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Review: render

render by W. Joseph O'Connell
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