And the Sparrow Fell

A clever mix of Pro and Anti Vietnam War characters. Well rounded and believable, I loved the vivid sections set in Long Island, Cleverly written showing the differences between siblings brought up closely. Ultimately a tale of love and brotherhood.

A book that will stay with me for a long time. A heartbreaking account of a Vietnam veteran and his experience, with his family and war experience.

A very well written and obviously well researched book about a family in the 1960s. It tells of two brothers opinions on the Vietnam War and the actions they take and the consequences they have. It is a story of love and loyalty. It tells of the happy times and the sad and pulls us into the story. It is thought provoking and memorable.

This ARC was provided compliments of NetGalley. Gratitude sent to Cornell University Press for making this pre-release available.

The author delivered me back to the turbulent 60's. Kennedy had been assassinated. LBJ had been increasing troop strength into Vietnam. Thousands of American troops were returning home - in bags. Demonstrations against the war, some peaceful some not enveloped America. We were a nation united - a nation divided. This superbly-written narrative tore at my heart. At times, I wanted to cheer and cry at the same time. It culminated with an ending that caused me to lower my Kindle and close my eyes. If just for a moment.

The author trained my focus to the Ledbetter brothers, Rick and Tom, aged twenty-two and twenty, respectfully. They had grown up on the North Shore of Long Island and shared a close relationship, yet, were split on the everyday issues of the escalating conflict in Vietnam. Or was it a war? Take your pick.

Looking to follow in his father's footsteps, Rick would soon be heading off to Officer Candidate School for the Navy. His father had been awarded the Medal of Honor for his action in World War II. He had sunk a Japanese Destroyer from his plane single-handedly with the perfect placement of a one-thousand pound bomb. Payback for the USS Arizona. Now it was his son's Rick turn to carry forward the family legacy. Big shoes to fill. American Hero. He would soon find out like so many others that he had no idea what he was getting himself into. No one did. No one ever will. His younger brother Tom was the pacifist of the family. Predictably, he was dead set against our involvement in Vietnam and spoke out about it at length at anti-war rallies. The authorities had him in their sights.

Tom was attending Cornell University religious studies. That's where Kate came into the picture. Both shared the same views. Together, they took an active stand against American policies in favor of the war. A team. When Rick met her, he was immediately infatuated. Right woman - wrong time. Though he quite wasn't ready to give up on her. Not yet anyway.

Tom was planning to return his draft card back to the draft board without claiming to be a conscientious objector. That meant federal jail time. Not a career move. All in the name of opposition to the war. Rick, on the other hand, was headed off to OCS for the Navy. He looked forward to serving his country in its time of need. Like father - like son. Politically, the brothers couldn't have been further apart.

Shortly after graduation, Rick found himself stepping onto the tarmac of an airstrip in Saigon. With little fanfare, he was shipped out to his duty station as an executive officer of a gun boat that patrolled the hostile rivers in South Vietnam. It was what he had signed up for. A highly dangerous position.

A month had gone by. He hadn't seen much action, not that he was necessarily looking for any. It was nighttime. Rick and his crew were on duty aboard one of the gunboats at the dock. During his shift, he thought he glimpsed a shadow in the water. It appeared to be moving away from the boats. Strange. There were no currents or wind to allow for that movement. Most likely, unwanted company. Taking aim, he emptied the magazine of his sidearm at the shadow in the water. Then it appeared to have stopped. Moments later, the gunboat had been ripped apart from a huge explosion. A satchel charge. The boat had begun to sink. Seriously wounded, Rick was faced with a deadly decision. One that would haunt him for the rest of his life.

Since I began reading novels sent to me by NetGalley, over a hundred now, I have seen many good ones and some weak ones. Self-published novels that really deserve a publisher and some that don't. I never know when I start one what I will find. And the Sparrow Fell amazed me as it felt so real. It's very well-written, has good character development, but most of all it just rings true. Not every reader will have lived through that time period when the nation was torn apart by the Vietnam War, but I did and I don't want to forget what we went through. So thanks to the author, and thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

The Civil War is often called the war between brothers, but And the Sparrow Fell reminds us that the Vietnam War divided a country in two once again.

Following the Ledbetter brothers, we see both sides. Rick, who is following in his father, Aa award winning navy pilot, footsteps by entering the Naval Officer Candidate School. will quickly be heading to Vietnam for combat. Tom, a man of 'true conscience' is morally opposed to the war. Enter - Kate Kurshan.

What follows is a real look at the cost of war and how it affected people on a personal level. We feel the pain that is still being felt by our millions of veterans.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

And the Sparrow Fell depicts the Vietnam War and how the American people were torn between those supporting it and the people who found this war absolutely appalling.
Two bothers are on complete opposite sides, until the older brother (21 years old) is injured and comes back to the United States, where he contemplates everything he has seen and done, and also his brother's ideology.
The novel reads a little like a memoir, but is a really good fiction.al representation of a family during the mid sixties.