BOOK REVIEW & GIVEAWAY: DEFIANT HEART by MARTY STEERE

Author - Marty Steere
Publisher: Penfield Press (April 15, 2013)
Category: Historical Fiction, WWII, General Fiction
Tour Dates: April-Mid May, 2013
Available in: eBook, 385, and paperback.

Purchase from:-
Amazon UK // Amazon US // 

BOOK BLURB

Set against the backdrop of small town America on the eve of World War II, Defiant Heart features two extraordinary characters and one unforgettable love story.
 
In the spring of 1941, young Jon Meyer’s family dies in a tragic accident, and he is sent to live in a small Indiana town. He arrives to find himself unwanted and shunned.
 
Mary Dahlgren is the daughter of the town’s mayor. A pretty girl, she could have the pick of the boys in town, including Vernon King, the star of the vaunted high school basketball team. To the chagrin of her friends, though, Mary has always been more interested in books than boys. That is, until she meets Jon.
 
But Jon and Mary are kept apart by an insidious campaign orchestrated by Mary’s father, who perceives their relationship a threat to his political aspirations, and Vernon, to whom Jon is a rival for Mary’s affections. For months Jon is subjected to a painful ostracism. Then, just when the young man’s earnestness and perseverance begin to win over many of the townsfolk and it appears that love may conquer all, tragedy strikes.
 
As the country is caught up in war, so too are the young lovers swept up in events beyond their control, leaving both fighting for their very lives. If, against the odds, they are to be together, each will need to find the strength, the courage and the resourcefulness that beat only in a defiant heart.

About Marty Steere:                

The son of a career air force officer, Marty Steere grew up on or near military installations across the country and overseas before settling in Southern California, where, when he’s not writing, he practises law. His debut novel, Sea of Crises, was named to Kirkus Reviews’ Best of 2012.

Marty Steere’s Website

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Defiant Heart on Goodreads


Also from Marty Steere:-

Sea of Crises

GIVEAWAY

The author has graciously offered to give a copy of his book to one of my readers.  US winners have a choice of print of eBook format, while International winners will receive an eBook format.  Good luck!  :)
 

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Reader review . . . 

Jon Meyer was sent to live with a grandmother he had never met when his parents and brother were killed in a car accident.  On the eve of World War II, Jon encounters anti-Semitism in her small town and is ostracized and bullied at school.  While struggling to find his place there and still grieving for his parents, Jon falls for Mary, his boss's daughter.

This novel is an excellent example of fiction which causes the reader to think about difficult subjects.  At times, I had difficulty staying with the book, not because of the quality of the writing, but because the subject matter was uncomfortable.  Racism, anti-Semitism, and bullying always upset me, and the author has done such a good job of making the characters real that it was painful to read.  Jon is a truly sympathetic character.  I could imagine a young man dealing with that grief and loneliness.  However, I don't want to discourage anyone from reading this novel.  It is worth reading.

5 stars

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the Virtual Authors Book Tours  book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”