For those of you who are new to Archer’s books, look out! I will have a really hard time finding anything wrong with him. He does leave this one a little open ended but I forgive him – ha ha. You really have to read all he has written. Kane and Abel is one of the best novels written about generational drama and that is one of the few that has a follow up novel as well. Archer is one of the authors who got me through endless boring textbooks in college as I would reward myself with one of his books after assignments (one of the others being Ludlum).

This story centres on young Harry Clifton who begins his life in poverty with a mother, a deceased father and a particularly horrid uncle. He bunks off school so he can go and hang around the docks watching his uncle and many others build boats. He has many questions about who is father was and how he died but is very careful to not mention anything in front of said uncle as he is liable to get his ears clipped. By a twist of fate, found only in fabulous novels such as this, Harry has a gift; that of a beautiful soprano voice. This enables him to try out for a scholarship to a prestigious school and, for his mother, some hope of a life better than hers. He meets a boy who will become a lifelong friend but also is faced with prejudice he has never known before.

Thankfully he is mentored, albeit in a very sneaky way, by an old man who has secrets that he keeps hidden. This man has a wealth of knowledge that he shares with Harry; he encourages Harry to do his best and to go for the scholarship with all his heart. Obviously still waters run deep and this man proves to be more than just an ally for Harry, he becomes a true friend.

His story alone is such great reading and you really want to know more about him but alas this is about the Clifton lad. We go back to the Great War and follow Harry’s mum and how she met Harry’s dad and also some of the mistakes she made along the way and we also get to see Harry mature and also fall in love.

There are many turns in the book and Archer does his best to help us become truly endeared to the characters. As you expect, due to the timeline, the beginning of World War II is also part of the story. I won’t give anything away as you wouldn’t believe it. Bravo Mr. Archer and when is the next book?

SOOOO this book was recommended by a friend who literally was having a hard time putting it down and was weeping on and off throughout. I thought – lovely, let’s have some of that! Firstly I have to say I come with a whole lot of cynicism and read a lot of management and encouragement books and so maybe come from a different place from a lot of you. The premise of the book is a little overdone I think in today’s self-help environment. Now I know that is not what this is about but I am just saying that the idea is not a new one. The book does not prescribe a ‘pull yourself up by your bootstraps’ mentality which was great. I know it is a work of fiction but really the likelihood of two extremely high powered men becoming so humbled so quickly is a little far-fetched. Now again, I know it is a supernatural work of God but I can’t help thinking we live in the real world where God does work in mysterious ways just rarely like this.

I know what you are thinking, have a little faith which I definitely ask God for on a very regular basis, it’s just so neat and clean – the story that is. To the meat of the book – I personally found one of the main characters quite unlikeable. In fact I found myself thinking I could care less what happens to him and his marriage. Now the kids he affects and has some control over, who incidentally had hardly any part of the story, I did care about. They were the ones who were caught up in his manic desire to win at all costs behaviour. Anyway his marriage is on the rocks, he is drinking too much, not spending any time with his own kids and ignoring anyone who tries to get through to him and still his team is losing when he is pushing them harder and harder.

His best friend is a VP or some equivalent at a large corporation and he is experiencing some of the same stuff. His wife has already left him, he is drinking way too much and his sales team isn’t producing. His answer is just to push harder and harder and threaten peoples’ jobs. You know where this is going now huh. The main dude comes across the school janitor after each loss and exasperating moment and yet the janitor just says that everything happens for a reason. Believe it or not. He leads very quietly and with such wisdom – he is the likeable character and one you don’t really get to know until the very end of the book but that is the entirely predictable portion. Well for me anyway – sorry there is the cynic showing. This is a great feel good story and one that is a very quick read so if you are in the mood for an uplifting sport story, read on.