It's a Novel Idea: The Heart of It All

The Heart of it All - Christian Kiefer
Melville House
368 Pages

I love reading books that have a local flair, and I love character driven books even more. Combine the two, and it’s almost always a recipe for a great book. While The Heart of it All is technically set locally, it is set in another rustbelt locale, which is eerily familiar in its economic and political make up. With this novel, Christian Kiefer has written a tale that we all know, and one that many of us have played a part in. You may recognize your neighbors in this book, even if the names and places have been placed elsewhere.

Literally the Best Reviews: Phantoms

Phantoms - Christian Kiefer

Liveright Publishing

288 Pages

Several months ago, both Howie and I reviewed a book called Eagle and Crane by Suzanne Rindell (you can revisit them HERE and HERE). That book was a piece of historical fiction that centered upon the Japanese internment camps during World War II. My latest review is Phantoms by Christian Kiefer and takes its own take on the same subject matter. This time the mystery of the Japanese experience is explored a generation after the fact by another veteran of another war looking for his purpose in life.