Review of Two Million Steps
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Kenna Ridzi
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Review of Two Million Steps
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Two Million Steps" by Tommy Anderson.]
Two Million Steps by Tommy Anderson is a historical fiction novel based on a deceased relative of the author, a military recruit named Hamon Jennings. Hamon has a home in Wisconsin, a wife, and a child, but he decides to enlist in the military and fight in the Civil War because it’s his duty and obligation to do so. Briefly after enlisting, he finds out that his childhood friend, Al, has enlisted as well and that they’ll be fighting together in the 25th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment. Al takes on the part of being Hamon’s most prominent supporter and friend during their fight. The author portrays Hamon as a model soldier; he encourages his fellow soldiers, fights with skill and bravery, and is obedient and respectful towards his superiors. In his journey, we watch as Hamon grows into his role in his regiment and faces numerous adversities in order to fight the Rebels, support his fellow soldiers, and fulfill his moral obligation to his country.
I was impressed with the overall detail in this book. The author gave as much information as possible to the reader with regard to dates and locations, explanations of the regiment’s next moves, and the conditions of the regiment. Anderson left me with no questions at all when it came to information. One of my favorite things about this story was watching Hamon move up through the ranks and grow into his new positions over time. The author does a fantastic job with Hamon’s character development and indicating how he has matured and developed new skills from his time in the military. Finally, I appreciated how the author wrote this book in memory of his great-great-grandfather. The author recounts how his grandfather’s records were destroyed in a tornado, so he uses his grandfather as his main character in this historical fiction novel based on the accurate history of the 25th Wisconsin Regiment.
However, this book did contain some serious faults. The transitions in the story aren’t clear. For instance, there are times where we jump from one setting to the next in as little as a sentence, whereas sometimes we spend several pages on one day. This made it very hard to follow where Hamon was, what day it was, and what the current goal of the regiment was. In addition, there was a large amount of narrative and very little dialogue, making it difficult to stay interested. We hear more from the narrator than from Hamon. This also made several scenes that could have been thrilling if we heard more dialogue from the characters rather dull.
There wasn’t a lot to dislike about this book. There was an abundance of detail and character development, and there was obviously a great deal of extensive work gone into the story. Unfortunately, there were some negative aspects of this book that affected my enjoyment of the story. Because of this, I rate Two Million Steps three out of four stars.
I would recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in military history, otherwise, this book would be unable to hold your attention. I’d suggest that readers have knowledge of military jargon, as it was used frequently throughout the book, and that readers be familiar with the Civil War.
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Two Million Steps
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Two Million Steps by Tommy Anderson is a historical fiction novel based on a deceased relative of the author, a military recruit named Hamon Jennings. Hamon has a home in Wisconsin, a wife, and a child, but he decides to enlist in the military and fight in the Civil War because it’s his duty and obligation to do so. Briefly after enlisting, he finds out that his childhood friend, Al, has enlisted as well and that they’ll be fighting together in the 25th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment. Al takes on the part of being Hamon’s most prominent supporter and friend during their fight. The author portrays Hamon as a model soldier; he encourages his fellow soldiers, fights with skill and bravery, and is obedient and respectful towards his superiors. In his journey, we watch as Hamon grows into his role in his regiment and faces numerous adversities in order to fight the Rebels, support his fellow soldiers, and fulfill his moral obligation to his country.
I was impressed with the overall detail in this book. The author gave as much information as possible to the reader with regard to dates and locations, explanations of the regiment’s next moves, and the conditions of the regiment. Anderson left me with no questions at all when it came to information. One of my favorite things about this story was watching Hamon move up through the ranks and grow into his new positions over time. The author does a fantastic job with Hamon’s character development and indicating how he has matured and developed new skills from his time in the military. Finally, I appreciated how the author wrote this book in memory of his great-great-grandfather. The author recounts how his grandfather’s records were destroyed in a tornado, so he uses his grandfather as his main character in this historical fiction novel based on the accurate history of the 25th Wisconsin Regiment.
However, this book did contain some serious faults. The transitions in the story aren’t clear. For instance, there are times where we jump from one setting to the next in as little as a sentence, whereas sometimes we spend several pages on one day. This made it very hard to follow where Hamon was, what day it was, and what the current goal of the regiment was. In addition, there was a large amount of narrative and very little dialogue, making it difficult to stay interested. We hear more from the narrator than from Hamon. This also made several scenes that could have been thrilling if we heard more dialogue from the characters rather dull.
There wasn’t a lot to dislike about this book. There was an abundance of detail and character development, and there was obviously a great deal of extensive work gone into the story. Unfortunately, there were some negative aspects of this book that affected my enjoyment of the story. Because of this, I rate Two Million Steps three out of four stars.
I would recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in military history, otherwise, this book would be unable to hold your attention. I’d suggest that readers have knowledge of military jargon, as it was used frequently throughout the book, and that readers be familiar with the Civil War.
******
Two Million Steps
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Waterworks by Jack Winnick
