DNF - The decision to not finish reading the book I accredit to the moment in time in which I attempted to work through it. This just wasn't for me & maybe, through another medium, I might have enjoyed this as much as the other reviewers but, for the time being, I am leaving off here.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

I enjoyed this one a lot. I pretty much finished it all in one go. It was well written and well paced. The plot was engaging and touched on some pretty heavy topics (holocaust, racism, alcoholism). The characters were well developed and likable, and it all wrapped up in a satisfying conclusion. 👍🏻👍🏻

**ARC Via NetGalley**

Life is a series of conflicts for most individuals. Struggling against drug use is a rabbit hole difficult to get extricated from. Helping someone who has been stabbed can be a very dangerous undertaking. These are but a few of the trials these main characters face. Society and especially law enforcement espouse innocent until proven guilty. However, it is hard to prove innocence from inside a prison cell.

Escaping alcoholism is also very trying and at times a seemingly impossible endeavor. Family will be supportive for a while but finally even the ones who love you abandon the quest to get you healed. This book explores some of these afflictions with painful clarity! Children are often caught in the middle, with grandparents or other family members taking up the mantle of guardianship.

The author helped me to realize that my own childhood was a cakewalk compared to some of the trials faced by others. Drug use is particularly egregious and there must be a way that society can educate the young to avoid this calamity at all costs. The problem is that some of the richest get their fortunes from this very malady. They are the ones that should face legal action and prison. Regrettably, they can afford the dealers and lawyers to keep their hands clean. I found myself trying to figure out the cure for this national affliction. Read and see if you agree. 4.5 stars – CE Williams

While comparisons to Harper Lee's masterpiece are overly generous, The Promise of the Pelican stands on its own as a solid 3.5* read, deserving of the round up to 4*. It is an all to familiar story of the injustice of the American justice system and an indictment of current American ideology where anyone different is suspect and unwelcome. But there are also characters to admire, who display bravery and loyalty at their own risk. Their actions are what stays with me now.

Several backstories are skillfully developed and intertwined. Two images in particular stick with me; a child being ripped away from parents and siblings during the holocaust and in the Honduras a mother brandishing a machete to protect her son from gang violence. We have all been wounded in one way or another and The Promise of the Pelican reminds us to be gentle with one another.

Thank you to the author and Skyhorse Publishing for providing a complimentary ebook via Netgalley for my enjoyment and review. The Promise of the Pelican is available now from your favorite bookstore or library.

The Promise of the Pelican was fast paced and entrancing. I really loved how the perspective of Hank and his traumatizing escape from getting sent to concentration camps enmeshed with today's current events. History can always seem so far until it's not and I really appreciated that scope. My heart absolutely broke in the scene where he telling his story at a school and the kids stood up and started yelling. I just love Hank so much. It was also so poignant to me that an octogenarian could still have such deep character growth and such a beautiful arc. It's also just humbling and inspiring to consider that at that age, we still might not have the whole parenting thing figured out, but we can still learn and grow and do better.

I feel like bits of the story were rushed. Particularly with Vanessa. Her downward spiral was entrancing...and then she just pulled out of it. She had been so worried about going back and facing the damage she had left her in wake...but then we didn't get much more out of that storyline then a numbered list of stuff she learned. That never sits right with me in literature...SHOW me the character mulling that over and aching in the depths of their soul, instead of homework it seems like they're going to present to a judge or sponsor or something.

I really loved Julio's storyline and appreciated his character. There is and always will be so much that happens out of our control. How Julio acted in the face of such unfair injustice was a lesson in how to be humble and strong. The fact that he remained unbroken and didn't turn bitter really stood out to me. He could have so easily lashed out and turned to some numbing substance or any number of things, and it would've been perfectly understandable. However, he did not that and that is why he will stand out to me as an incredibly powerful character in my mind for a very long time.

Overall this book was moving and thought provoking. I will definitely be recommending it.

This book is hard to define. It is about a crime but also about immigrants and a American family as well. Hank, a retired attorney agrees to defend the brother of his grandsons caretaker who is accused of murder. Meanwhile his daughter who is an addict has run away from a. court ordered stint in a rehabilitation centre leaving her special needs son with her father. Thanks entire family was lost in the houlacost and this is something he speaks about at different functions in his community.
This story tells about many sad things that immigrants go through before and after they get to this country. This is a very good read and I enjoyed it a lot. I highly recommend.

Hank, a retired defense attorney, finds himself back in the courtroom when Julio, the brother of the caregiver of his grandchild, is arrested for the murder of a golfer at the course where he works. Hoffman pulls several themes together here- Hank is a Holocaust survivor, Julio and his sister are refugees from Guatemala, Julio is undocumented, Hank's daughter is an addict. There are mistakes made on multiple levels, most importantly by Julio after he finds the dead golfer. Fans of legal thriller might quibble with the courtroom scenes but Hoffman clearly shows his passion. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. A good read.