Heather’s Bookshelf: EO-N
Author: Dave Mason
Released: 10/01/20
Genre: Historical Fiction
“Alison took a deep breath that caught in her chest as she swallowed hard. She felt the familiar pain rising, felt the uncontrollable tears welling up. But she felt something else too, something that she couldn’t place: a complex, confusing mix of despair, hate, pride, rage, gratitude, and love.”
“EO-N” begins with a child and his dog happening upon a metal mass that has protruded from a Norwegian glacier. The mystery of the object below the ice reveals a much larger puzzle involving a story told by a dual timeline and multiple perspectives.
When the discovery is made, the authorities quickly realize that the object below the ice is a WWII era airplane and suspect they know the identity of the fated passengers. They contact the Canadian fighter pilot’s next of kin, Alison, who agrees to leave her stress-filled life behind in order to seek the truth. Alison’s a CEO of a tech company and has also recently lost her mother. Her responsibilities leave her torn, but ultimately she decides to pursue the possibility that her grandfather was the pilot of the doomed plane.
While the present timeline is told through Alison’s POV, the past timeline is revealed through several individual’s important to the story including Alison’s grandfather, Jack Barton, and a German pilot, Gunther. Gunther enlisted as a pilot with hopes of providing for his family and defending his country. Gunther becomes disillusioned with his place in the German military when the orders from those above don’t match the needs of his people or his personal moral guidelines.
The paths of these two seemingly different individuals cross and reveal the truth of how the plane became entombed in the glacier.
Trigger Warning: war time violence and death, adult language, murder, torture (audience is absolutely adult)
Overall, I really enjoyed this story. It was well-written and heartfelt. There were truly terrible and disturbing things that happened in this story. There were also some extremely touching moments as well. I absolutely loved the journey that all three of the main characters took throughout the tale and the way that the two characters from the past came together stuck with me. The dual timelines kept the story moving at a fast pace and the multiple perspectives revealed what happened in the past in a way that kept me flipping the page. This was one of the most compelling books that I have read so far this year and I would love to see what else this author writes in the future.
I received a copy of this story in exchange of a fair and honest review.
OVERALL REVIEW:
A truly heartfelt tale about the best and worst of humanity all wrapped in a historical fiction mystery
Want to learn more about the author? Check out my interview with Dave Mason:
Interested in checking out the book for yourself?
Find it for purchase here or on Kindle Unlimited
Interested in submitting your book for review? Visit my review page for guidelines and submission requirements.
