From Publishers Weekly
With this story of a heroic 19th-century Irish-American Marine, the long career of recently deceased bestselling author Uris (Mila 18; Exodus) concludes. Zachary O'Hara, son of a legendary Civil War hero, is the protagonist of Uris's epic adventure, which ranges from Washington, D.C., to Newport, R.I., and from the Civil War to the end of the 19th century. O'Hara grows up on Marine lore and joins the corps as soon as he can, earning a reputation in his own right with hard work and natural ability. When Major Boone affords him the opportunity of a lifetime a chance to save the corps and gain a prominent role in its future he jumps on it. Zach's career takes off and so does his love life, as he falls for the beautiful and headstrong Amanda Kerr. From the outset, though, the relationship is opposed by Zach's Marine superiors and Amanda's stubborn industrialist father, who has other plans for her future. But Amanda suddenly and inexplicably metamorphoses into a cunning businesswoman and pragmatically decides to abandon Zach (whom she continues to pine after). From here, the plot turns aren't plausible. Uris usually connects the many layers of his stories seamlessly; as this novel draws to a conclusion, however, the hasty revelation of family secrets leads to a forced, emotionally unsatisfying ending. Anyone seeking a compelling read should look to Uris's previous works, as this one is certainly the exception to the rule in a prodigious career marked by phenomenal storytelling.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From
This new work by the author of, most famously among his previous novels, the popular and filmed Exodus (1958), which focused on the founding years of Israel, turns out to be Uris' posthumous novel, for he died in late June of this year. Characteristically for him, it is a visit to historical times; and characteristically of him, historical facts are not seamlessly, fluidly integrated into the story, but, rather, give the narrative a patchwork feel. But there is certainly a compelling quality to the story itself. In general terms, the novel concerns a vital period in the history of the U.S. Marine Corps. Specifically, its characters are the men whom Sergeant Paddy O'Hara saved from the jaws of death during various battles of the Civil War. Sergeant O'Hara was the second marine to be awarded the newly created Congressional Medal of Honor, and every year the men he saved hold a reunion. The year now is 1888, and the group meets with an important item on their agenda: the very future of the corps appears to be in jeopardy. They turn to Paddy O'Hara's son for the corps' salvation, and the plot takes off from there. Despite a leaden prose style, Uris achieves an effective level of urgency in his storytelling to maintain the interest of readers who will seek out the latest (and, presumably, last) work of a popular writer. Brad Hooper
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