Official Review: Both My Sons by Ken Yoder Reed
Posted: 23 Jan 2020, 07:18
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Both My Sons" by Ken Yoder Reed.]
Fierce persecution, taxation, and other constant threats had forced many Mennonites to migrate to the New World. Klaus Grünewald, popularly known as Greenywalt, was among them. Life in the New World was peaceful. They did not have to conceal their real identity. However, the French and Indian war broke out in colonial Pennsylvania. The general forced the settlers to surrender their wagons and enlist their sons as soldiers as well. Greenywalt loved his two sons, but he loved the elder son more than the younger one. The elder son was illegitimate, and the other one was legitimate. Which son would Greenywalt surrender to the army? How did he end up siring an illegitimate son? How did the other Mennonites react?
Both My Sons is a historical fiction book that was authored by Ken Yoder Reed. The book was published in 2016. It is 424 pages long and consists of 30 chapters. The book is divided into eight parts that narrate the story through the eyes of various characters. The author loves writing and has written two other books.
Both My Sons is a fascinating and gripping book. The readers are instantly transported to various places in the story. The narration moves back and forth in time and thus generating a lot of suspense. Consequently, the reader’s interest is piqued. I did not understand how various subplots would connect together at first. To tell the truth, I never knew I would fancy reading this book as much as I did after reading the first chapters. The development of the plot was protracted, and there were very many loose events that I could not tie together. However, I could not put the book down once it picked up. The unpredictable twists and turns in the book made it even more captivating.
There is nothing I did not like about the book. The characters were brilliantly built. Klaus was an outstanding planner and a diligent worker. He had his own equal share of weaknesses, though. All the other primary and secondary characters were realistic as well. The conversations were equally lively. The plot was also unique and excellently developed. I also liked the allusions to stories and names in the Bible. They subtly conveyed precise meanings that Bible scholars will like. For example, Greenywalt’s son Bod was nicknamed Jehu due to his wild horse riding habit. His name also had a meaning.
The language employed in the book was straightforward. Editing was also professionally done. I found only one run-on sentence and three other grammatical errors. The key themes handled in the book included war, religious persecution, revenge, family, and forgiveness. This was a great book to read. I heartily rate it 4 out of 4 stars. I recommend the book to all fans of historical fiction books. Those who would like to learn more about the Mennonites can also pick this book.
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Both My Sons
View: on Bookshelves
Fierce persecution, taxation, and other constant threats had forced many Mennonites to migrate to the New World. Klaus Grünewald, popularly known as Greenywalt, was among them. Life in the New World was peaceful. They did not have to conceal their real identity. However, the French and Indian war broke out in colonial Pennsylvania. The general forced the settlers to surrender their wagons and enlist their sons as soldiers as well. Greenywalt loved his two sons, but he loved the elder son more than the younger one. The elder son was illegitimate, and the other one was legitimate. Which son would Greenywalt surrender to the army? How did he end up siring an illegitimate son? How did the other Mennonites react?
Both My Sons is a historical fiction book that was authored by Ken Yoder Reed. The book was published in 2016. It is 424 pages long and consists of 30 chapters. The book is divided into eight parts that narrate the story through the eyes of various characters. The author loves writing and has written two other books.
Both My Sons is a fascinating and gripping book. The readers are instantly transported to various places in the story. The narration moves back and forth in time and thus generating a lot of suspense. Consequently, the reader’s interest is piqued. I did not understand how various subplots would connect together at first. To tell the truth, I never knew I would fancy reading this book as much as I did after reading the first chapters. The development of the plot was protracted, and there were very many loose events that I could not tie together. However, I could not put the book down once it picked up. The unpredictable twists and turns in the book made it even more captivating.
There is nothing I did not like about the book. The characters were brilliantly built. Klaus was an outstanding planner and a diligent worker. He had his own equal share of weaknesses, though. All the other primary and secondary characters were realistic as well. The conversations were equally lively. The plot was also unique and excellently developed. I also liked the allusions to stories and names in the Bible. They subtly conveyed precise meanings that Bible scholars will like. For example, Greenywalt’s son Bod was nicknamed Jehu due to his wild horse riding habit. His name also had a meaning.
The language employed in the book was straightforward. Editing was also professionally done. I found only one run-on sentence and three other grammatical errors. The key themes handled in the book included war, religious persecution, revenge, family, and forgiveness. This was a great book to read. I heartily rate it 4 out of 4 stars. I recommend the book to all fans of historical fiction books. Those who would like to learn more about the Mennonites can also pick this book.
******
Both My Sons
View: on Bookshelves