I could not bring myself to finish this book, although the premise sounded so interesting.
My biggest problem was not even how the book is written, but how the main character describes women, and how he describes himself. Apparently, only he can have something more than looks, and for the same reason women (which are heavily physically stereotyped) are supposed throw themselves to any male character they encounter.
Which such a premise, I had no intention of learning about the character's fate.

Have been unable to review due to illness. Review coming soon! This novel looks fantastic and I highly recommend this author to everyone! Can't wait to read this one!

There aren't many novels I've read about life after WWII for the soldiers who had to come back home and make their way into normal life again. As the story unfolds, we follow a doctor/surgeon who served on the front lines during WWII and has to now assimilate back into the normal routine of life while dealing with PTSD and various things he saw and had to do while fighting on the front lines. I think many of us don't think about this part of the war- it's over, the heroes are home, let's move on, but many still fight demons from that time.

After moving back home to Pennsylvania, Bruce plans to start a general practice and get back to normal. Life has other plans, and he has to do a lifesaving surgery that makes him wonder about the factory and what the workers are like. Although he doesn't want to fight another battle, he knows these people need help. There are rumors about a lady doctor setting up shop in town, and his brother, who was also in war, is fighting war demons with a bottom of a bottle.

Workers at the factory don't like Bruce stirring things up, but he sees his brother is not doing well and is trying to get him help while working on his own issues. Bruce is back in the midst of a battle, but it's a battle where he's the only one who's at risk.

Thank you to Spark Press and NetGalley for the ARC in return for my honest review.

I was looking forward to this historical fiction from a male’s perspective, but the beginning didn’t hook me. The description sounded so interesting, and was looking forward to reading more about post-war life of someone who was in the war, but after 30% in, it just didn’t hold my interest.

There are great reviews about this book, so don’t take my word alone on it.

A STREAM TO FOLLOW
by Jess Wright
SparkPress
Out Apr 19.

Bruce Duncan, WWII frontline surgeon just home to start a practice in Pennsylvania, struggles with profound PTSD, as does his fighter pilot brother. The stunning histfic tale takes us from America post-war back to the bloody fields in Alsace and to embattled England, where their traumas occurred.

Written by famed psychiatrist Jess Wright, Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Louisville, the story reveals the difficult path to recovery as a new "battlefield" opens up when Bruce takes on a corporation whose employees face harmful conditions. He also struggles in love, trying to decide between an English woman he once desperately loved, and a strong woman doctor. All the while turning to fly fishing to restore his ravaged mind.

I found the beautifully-penned narrative of keen interest, and learned so much about trauma as I rooted for Bruce to recover and experience renewed health and life. A must-read for those intrigued by WWII, PTSD, and deeply felt stories.

Thanks to the author, SparkPress, and NetGalley for the ARC. Opinions are mine.

#AStreamToFollow #JessWright #SparkPress #NetGalley #WWIhistficnovels #PTSDfromWWII #flyfishingastherapy #WWIIEngland #WWIIAlsace #WWIIPilots#frontlinewarsurgeons
#bookstgramcommunity

Bruce Duncan may have left the battlefield behind, but when he returns to small town Pennsylvania after WW2 to open a general practice he experiences first hand the long echo of wartime trauma - PTSD. A frontline surgeon, he’s anxious to put the nightmare of Alsace behind him. The path to recovery and healing isn’t as straightforward as he’d like.

When he took the Hippocratic oath wide-eyed and full of optimism, he had no idea that it would take all he had to uphold it in postwar America. Saving lives, he discovered, doesn’t just happen on an operating table, in a doctor’s office or on the battlefield. His determination fuels his fight for the lives of workers at a silica plant when it’s discovered that the silica is causing death. Tension ramps up because he’s taking the fight to the one industry that is the mainstay of the economy. Interestingly, we continue to face some of the same dilemmas today.

I was shocked at how the returning soldiers were received and noted that although PTSD wasn’t officially recognized until 1980, soldiers knew to immerse themselves in a sport that aided in reflection and peace. Bruce sought solace in fly-fishing as it allowed him to cope with stress. I loved the metaphorical title and the fact that three of the main characters were searching for meaning. The two females were strong, driven, educated women whose achievements drove them as they navigated societal constraints as they worked to make meaningful contributions. I’d never thought of this aspect before, but as I read, it made complete sense.

A book about a frontline surgeon written by a medical doctor, this historical fiction needs to be on your reading list.

I was gifted this advance copy by Jess Wright, SparkPress, and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

I found this book incredibly hard to get into. I think in large part it lacked finesse and contained dialogue that felt way too modern.

Another book with excellent promise, specifically because it focuses a lot on post-war life for soldiers but it just did not do it for me.

I walked away at 20%.

For many WWII veterans, the war didn’t end on VE Day. The battle within lingered long after they set foot back on American soil. This remained true for Bruce Duncan, a front line trauma surgeon. As he struggled to get his own practice off the ground, he becomes entangled in a bitter battle with a corporation after he finds that the working conditions are threatening the health of its employees. All the while he longs for the woman he fell in love with when he was stationed in England yet worries for her safety when she arrives thanks to the disgruntled businessmen.

I enjoyed this story for many reasons. I’ve read very little about the doctors who’ve returned from the war. They’ve seen things that are etched in their memories forever. It’s important to shed light on the fact that they suffer from PTSD too. I love that Bruce’s coping mechanism is fishing. I found it very soothing as I read the fishing scenes. This story is also about relationships, from love to friendship to loyalty to jealousy. This is a fast read as it definitely keeps your attention from start to finish.

Thanks so much to NetGalley, Sparkpress and Jess Weight for early access to this story. I glad I got the chance to read it.

When Bruce Duncan gets back to Pennsylvania from World War II his battle isn’t over. He will find himself fighting not only his nightmares but helping his brother with his, nursing a broken heart and uncovering an insidious work process that is ruining the lungs of the employees for the town’s main industry. This book was long, but so worth reading. Once you get started it’s hard to stop. This is truly historical fiction at its best. Jess Wright has written a wonderful book in one but I highly recommend. It is now on a list of nine books that are my pop favorites. I received this book from NetGalley Shelf but I am leaving this review voluntarily. Please forgive any grammatical or punctuational errors as I am blind and dictate my review.

A Stream to Follow was a beautiful and moving novel which started slow but grew as it went on. It was really refreshing to read an emotional, heartfelt story from the male perspective. At times it felt like there was a bit too much going on, with the memories of WWII which had just ended, starting again after the war, PTSD, manic-depressive behaviour, standing up for mistreated factory workers, jealous spouses and lost loves... All in all I loved the parts about the war in England and in the battlefields, I think they were very well-written and believable in both beauty and horror, and it was also interesting to return with Bruce Duncan to his small Pennsylvanian hometown and be right there with him as he tried to put the different pieces of his life back together. The love story was beautiful. And I think the cover of the book is gorgeous!

Thank you for the chance to read the book in advance; I give it three and a half stars.

Not sure why this never caught my interest. While it shows promise I couldn’t get myself to get into the story.

I am addicted to WW2 Historical Fiction, especially in regards to England. Anything that helps me understand what my relatives went through is a must read for me.

The premise of this story really grabbed me. I was going to get the view point of a yank returning to America and how his life had changed. Bruce Duncan was an American Doctor that was on the frontline. The details shared were heart wrenching. I was gutted. The author brought realism to the pages. This was just what I was looking for in a book.

Bruce Duncan is also an obsessed fly fisherman. I will admit I couldn't grasp the sport. And there was quite a lot of fly fishing that took place. The sport is important because that is how he meets Amelia, an upper class female home on leave from her war job in London. It was all a little hush hush so it had me wanting to know more.

The romance between the Brit and the yank was a real joy. The reader gets to see some of the struggles they met. We went along as they moved across the city. The author did a great job of describing the damages that occurred before and during their courtship. The rescues were detailed. Talk about nail biting. I don't know how they did it. No wonder Bruce experienced flashbacks.

Not all of the story takes place in Europe. Bruce returns home to Philadelphia allowing the reader to see how he is treated. We also get to see how the war affected others. Glen, Bruce's brother had been a pilot. He had been shot down suffering major burns.

Bruce's fight to save lives doesn't stop with the end of the war. He takes his job seriously. He will risk everything to save the lives of workers at a brick works dying after breathing silica for years. The drama is intense. As danger increases; Bruce starts to wonder if it will be safe for Amelia to come to America.

I loved reading about the challenges they faced. There were a lot of decisions to be made. It wouldn't be easy for them. It didn't matter if Bruce moved to England or Amelia came to America. A Stream to Follow gives glimpses into what life was like. The story generates understanding, respect and empathy.

I truly enjoyed reading ‘A Stream To Follow’ by Jess Wright. I absolutely love stories about WWII, and this honest but heart warming story of the war and the after math was beautiful.

When Bruce finds himself in the war, working to save GI’s lives with minimal trauma experience, but saving lives nonetheless. He becomes a fast thinking doctor in the field and also losing so many he cared for in the war. Bruce and his brother Glen has so much trauma from the war but are trying their best to be grateful for life and building a future now that they are back in the States.

While in England Bruce meets the love of his life, or so he thought she was, Amelia, is beautiful and everything he dreamed of. The war brought them together and the war tore them apart. While in the US, he meets Sarah, a beautiful doctor with so much to offer. She’s been there for him thru many important moments.

This book is so full of hope when all else seems like it will fail. Bruce finds his way thru a new life, while still fighting for what he believes in, saving people now takes a new shape here in the States, even if it could cost him his life.

Grilling, heartfelt and emotional. Truly beautiful. Can be slow in the beginning but keep reading it’s a treat.

**Thank you Netgally for a free eARC for my honest review. **