Sherman,
M. Zachary. Bloodlines: Heart of War.
Capstone Young Readers 2013 235p ISBN 978-1-62370-002-7 ms/jr Paperback VG-BN Short stories
Author and Marine Corps veteran M. Zachary Sherman
follows the warriors of the Donovan family from World War II to Afghanistan in
this collection of seven short stories, each describing a military action or event in
which a member of the family was involved. Each story is a brief snapshot of a single experience serving in
the armed forces, be it parachuting out of a plane over France or raiding a
terrorist hideout in search of weapons caches. This book is an engaging read geared toward younger readers,
especially young boys, but it would also be of interest to older readers as
well. One of the things
Sherman does particularly well is to
portray the realities of war without glossing over
them or devolving into a graphic gore fest, and this makes it a good read for more
sensitive readers. Throughout the book
the characters are staunch in their support of their country, even when they
doubt the intelligence of their immediate superiors, but the tone is not
jarringly nationalistic. The
Donovan family is simply one in which service in the armed forces is a done
thing, and, importantly, it is not limited to the male members of the family. Particularly
memorable is the bittersweet story of a nurse serving with the military
overseas. Classroom and public
libraries in towns with a strong military presence will find that this book
will circulate frequently, and will probably make its way into the personal
collection of particularly devoted readers, as the direct storytelling style
will be irresistibly appealing to young men with parents or siblings in the
armed forces. It is also well suited
for middle-school libraries and public libraries, especially in places with a
strong military presence.
Summary: This compilation of seven previously published works, edited to
form a single narrative, follows the Donovans through four generations of
American wars, from World War II to the war in Afghanistan.
War-Short stories --Bethany
Geleskie
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