Son of a Soldier is the powerful story of how God used one unlikely, country girl to change the course of history. It seemed impossible to believe that an eighteen-year-old girl from the middle-of-nowhere, Tennessee would have any real significance in the history of our nation…that is until God chose her to make a Godly man out of a flawed, military hero’s stubborn son.
Hailey was a small town, farm girl who had never left her home state of Tennessee. She was a naïve tomboy who possessed an unassuming charm, the power of which she could not comprehend.
Grant was a rebellious Army brat who had seen the world. Glib, sarcastic and self-destructive, he was a loner lost in a world he had never felt he fit into.
They seemingly had little in common, but when two hearts collided, two worlds became one; while Hailey embarks on a beautiful journey of self-discovery in this unique coming-of-age story, Grant travels a winding, dirt road that helps him rediscover a lost innocence and discover a renewed purpose.
My thoughts...
Starting out I was glued to this book! This is the story of 7 yr old Grant, a brilliant child who has lived in more countries than most, is fluent in several languages, and has private tutors whose classroom is the world. Grant's father is military and wants his son to follow in his footsteps. His mother, Nora, is a sweet woman whose desire is to move back home to North Carolina where her family is. Which eventually does happens.
In NC, Grant grows into a troubled teen, vandalism and arson are just a few of the troubles his family has gotten him out of. Then something happens which causes Jack and Nora to separate and Nora to take Grant and his cousin home to Tennessee where her mother lives, they end up staying with Jack, her boyfriend from high school and his daughters. Turns out Grant and Hailey have met before... thus the trouble begins!
The public school they attend has 25 students so all their classes are together. I found the way the author depicted the characters in the small town offensive. They were portrayed as ignorant and stupid... Grant's classmates were so dumb they didn't understand anything he talked about in class... they didn't even know what the word "arson" meant and one girls' clothes were described as exactly like Mary Ann of Gilligan's Island. The boys wore overalls and had names such as Joe John and Billy Wayne.
As Hailey and Grant's relationship grew she kept referring to herself as not very smart. I don't know why the author felt she had to make the townspeople such uneducated dummies, this is a good story and could've been much better. Brown is a talented writer, the book is fast paced, and it did keep me wanting to know what happens between Hailey and Grant at the end despite the stereotyping. I've lived in the south for 15 years, I can honestly say I've never met anyone that fits the descriptions of the characters in this book.
I received a copy of this book free from ABG Tours in exchange for an honest review.
Aiken Brown graduated summa cum laude from Spring Hill College in Mobile, Alabama. She is the author of In a Brother’s Eyes: the Brant McLachlan Story (2005), For Such a Time as This (2007) and Son of a Soldier (2012).
Aiken’s books are available at all major booksellers and in Kindle, Nook and other ebook formats! Learn more about Aiken Brown’s books at www.aikenbrown.blogspot.com.
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3 comments:
Son of a Soldier is a fantastic book, but I have to disagree with the reviewer quite a bit. I did not find the book offensive at all. As a proud 50 year old southerner who has spent her entire life in small town Mississippi, I related to and appreciated all the characters. I was not offended because I know several people who live life like the characters in this book who are dear to me! I do agree with the reviewer that Brown is a very talented writer. Loved seeing that Son of a Soldier was featured on this blog. It is a favorite of mine.
Actually my nephew's name is Billy Wayne, so that was not offensive stereotyping to me! LOL! And, honestly, my husband lives in overalls so I guess I missed what was offensive! I think it was critical for the audience to get a glimpse of the other characters through Grant's eyes, and that was very well done. I also found Hailey's insecurity endearing and in no way found that she was made to look stupid. I agree with you that I was hooked from the start. The author tells a very gripping story. I loved Son of a Soldier and so did my teenage daughters! I definitely recommend it!
Sounds pretty interesting. Buying it on my Kindle now! Thanks for featuring it on your blog!
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