Amy Harmon (1)

This review may contain spoilers, so fair warning, upon reading the review.

Many wonder what it is all for. I wonder what it is all for. And yet that truth, the truth of the ages, is that it is not for ourselves that we act. It is not our lives we are building, but the lives of generations that will come.

Introduction
A Girl Called Samson is a standalone historical fiction novel by Amy Harmon. This is also a new to me author and I am completely speechless on this one. I know y'all have been show more trying to get me to read this author for what seems like years and I finally bit the bullet and picked this one up and it blew my mind! I personally want to say a thank you to Sophie @ Beward of the Reader because her beautiful review sold me on this one. I doubt I could bring this book justice but I am certainly going to do my best! Because this story deserves all the love and more. This book is a historical fiction set in the time of the revolutionary war. This is a story based on a young woman who forges her own path and finds faith, a path into freedom and love along the way when she least expects it...

Great miracles were wrought on their journey, but miracles do not make life easy. Most often, miracles just make the next step possible.

Summary
Its year 1760, and Deborah Samson was born in Massachusetts. When her father abandons them for a life on the seas, and her mother is not able to support her children, then Deborah is put into child servitude to a family but the family that becomes her own in a special unique way. Now its twenty years later, and the Colonies are fighting for their independence and freedom against the British. Deborah is determined to forge her own way and fight for independence along with so many others. She has a hunger to defend this land and her people and so she disguises herself as a teen soldier and makes a transformation that is fierce and strong. Where she finds her faith, her will of iron and her strong heart that is as loyal and fierce as the flag she fights for and a love worth fighting for...

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,’” I began. He huffed under his breath, like I’d surprised him again, and I paused in my recitation. “You’ve memorized it?” he asked. “Yes, sir.” “Why?” “Because I believe in it.”

My Outlook
A Girl Called Samson was such a magical story and I am so grateful that I took the courage to actually pick this up. Its been so long since I read a historical fiction and I fell so hard for this one here. I am so happy that I was able to grab this one up here and indulge into this beautifully crafter story. This story is packed with so many elements that I fell in love with.

THE CHARACTERS
So we have so many wonderful characters that just steal your heart. The primary figure that we follow of course is Deborah/Samson. From the beginning you can see how loyal her heart is to America. Seeing her memorize the declaration of Independence (WOW I need to follow that example because I only have the first paragraph memorized haha) and her thirst for freedom and the way she incorporates faith into her well being was so resonating. She is such an inspirational character that we should all mold ourselves after. She has such strength and grace and love in her little body. The way she feels every moments and keeps going no matter what is so admirable.

In no place on earth can a man or woman who is born into certain circumstances ever hope to truly escape them. Our lots are cast from the moment we inhabit our mothers’ wombs, from the moment we draw breath. But perhaps that can change here, in this land.”

Then we have our hero of the story (and yes there is a delectable hero) General John Patterson is a man of honor and integrity and the way that he defends his men and will do whatever it takes to hold true to his promises just made me heart ache for this incredible historical figure. I just wanted so much for him to find his happy ending. But seeing his tenacity in the battle field and the way in which he fights for his soliders including our lovely Deb, was so epically portrayed. He is the perfect match for such a fierce spirit we have in Deborah. I not only loved him for how he is with her (before and after he finds out the truth about her identity) but also his own character and his personal struggle to finding purpose in this long war, a purpose that Deborah instills in him.

I had never considered it a privilege to be a woman. Not even once. I had struggled at the bit of my sex, at the reins of society, at the saddle of tradition. It had not occurred to me that men had their own burdens, that they were bridled too. It was not women who died on the battlefield. I had been denied and barred entry to a world I wanted to experience, but had I been barred because I was disdained or because I was valued? I suspected it was both. Even so, I was less inclined to complain about my lot

HISTORICAL CONTEXT
So this story was so rich and breathtaking in all the intricate details involving the Revolutionary War. This is a book so captivating in the little moments that it will literally take your breath away....and I am completely serious on it. I love the time of the revolutionary war, it means so much to me as a American and a Patriot. So to have this story written in such a way that emboldens the truth spirit of America and our history being so portrayed so well just left me humbled to the true struggled of those pioneers that fought with everything they had and gave up so much so that we could have the precious freedoms we take for granted way too much. Amy Harmon did an incredible job in really showcasing the truths of the Revolutionary War and the pains and hardship but also the fighting spirit against tyranny and being able to win against a machine that many other countries weren't able to do.

THE ROMANCE
The relationship that builds between Deborah and John was so beautiful! I definitely feel like their story needs to be talked about. I would say that their actual story together is a bit of a Mulan retelling in a way. There was so many connections to the animated film in how these two come together that it was just so wonderful to see how the author took a creative license on this to bring these two together. These two compliment each other so well and seeing what they are willing to sacrifice for each other and their country was so endearing. I just was on board with their story from the moment they meet and those "letters" *sigh* just loved it. And I will say that there is very little steam in this book. Do not expect anything steamier than some good kissing haha but seeing these two in their silent moments together fascinated me so much. And even though their romance is a backstory, I loved every single second of it.

I am convinced nothing is so intimate as a kiss, not even the joining of flesh or the taking of vows. When mouths commune, there is little that can be hidden, and I had no desire to hide anything any longer. Not from him

I do think that what I loved so dearly about this book the most though is the way that the author portrayed the emotion and struggle of what these soldiers and families suffered. You feel it with every moment, every chapter and every tear and sweat and blood sacrificed. I am not sure how the author wrote this story but I guarantee you will feel the sacrifice in your heart and deepest parts of yourself.

Overall View
I found A Girl Called Samson to be a delectable historical novel that brought together the beauty of the past, the essence of the American spirit and captivates the human soul in a satisfying read that will stay rent free in your heart for years...

“It is not for the man who has everything and wants more that we fight, but for the man that has nothing.”
“But as long as you draw breath, as long as your heart beats and the sun rises, you must stay in the fight.”

Rating Evaluation:
Plot: 5
World Building: 5
Cover:5
Hero: 5
Heroine: 5
Steam: 5
Heart & Feels:5
Ending:5
Overall View: 5 show less

I am not a fan of Norse mythology. The author penned an outstanding western and my affinity for such pulled me to the instant novel. Her prose never draws attention to itself nor detracts from the story, rather it flows seamlessly. We regularly read about wars and significant achievements of ancient cultures. Rarely does an author delve into a character or a historical culture's spiritual life, and yet I submit such is more important than so many other matters. The author and I do not share show more the same worldview on such matters, still I find the recognition makes her characters come alive. show less

Ok fine. Amy Harmon pulled out that last 10% like a master. It was convenient, sure, but it was done well.

I'm subtracting a star for the "whiny baby" stage that occurs somewhere after the romance is established-round 75%-90%.

It's Kjell's book, and I like his sense of duty and lack of ambition. However, because we hear his side, it made it difficult to connect to WTF-ery of some of Sasha's devotion and personality. I think this is some decent fantasy but I did struggle with the show more self-sacrificing commitment to misery and some weird obligation and surrender bits. Those MCs just don't do it for me. Having both characters like that? Epic love, sure, but at times I was hoping this wouldn't be HEA. Like wouldn't it be better as a tragedy?

The writing is great, and as usual, Steve Wests narration probably kept me plowing through the overwrought bits in the last 25%.

It's a 4 star mixed review. Go figure! show less

#InANutshell: This enters my top five reads of 2021.

If you are asked to provide a pair of five-letter nouns beginning with 'm' but that don't go well together , 'mafia' and 'music' would be a very good answer. So imagine a beautifully woven tale that unifies these two discrete elements into a delectable story. What you get is "The Songbook of Benny Lament".

Our eponymous lead, Benny Lament -- or to be more accurate, Benito Lomento -- belongs to an Italian mafia family bossing over the Bronx show more area in NYC. Benny is the black sheep of the family as he's a singer, songwriter and pianist with no time or interest in his mobster relatives nor in romance. Fairly successful in his career, he gets bowled over by the voice of Esther Mine when he hears her at a night club. Circumstances and choices bring them together in a musical and friendly partnership that is difficult for the external world to digest. After all, this is the America of the 1960s, and a white Sicilian-American man singing alongside a half-black woman on stage doesn't sit well with the segregationists. What follows is Benny's and Esther's deadly yet exciting adventure dealing with music, mobs and mayhem. The entire story is told in flashback through a radio interview with Benny in 1969. This structure works very well to create curiosity about what event in the past led to Benny Lament''s responses in the interview.

Sometimes, a book progresses slowly and the story takes its time to unveil itself. But the writing is so beautiful and the character development so fantastic that you feel a compulsion to keep turning the pages. I found it very difficult to keep this book aside, it is that gripping. There are so many themes beautifully layered and completely in harmony with each other: music, family, the civil rights movement, interracial relationships, mafia connections,... At its heart, you may call this book a love story. But to simply look at it as a love story is to trivialise its scope. Within the realm of fiction, it offers a factual glimpse into the struggles of the past, some of which are still extant.

Benny Lament and Esther Mine are two of the best written characters I've seen in contemporary literature. Their chemistry, their repartee, their music, their humanness, their strength,... Oh my! Everything was so well-sketched that I felt like I was watching them rather than reading them. Actually, every character in the book barring a couple of secondary ones is intriguingly developed. But the two leads are simply outstanding. (A side thought: how is it that female authors can write male characters so beautifully but most male authors cannot do the same with female characters?)

The story is a nice intermingling of fact and fiction. Most of the musical, political and gangster names thrown about in the book are real historical figures. To take actual people and events from the past, adding in some fictional characters, and ending up with a believable story not dealing with any catastrophic historical event is a heck of a writing task. Amy Harmon deserves accolades for doing complete justice to her attempt.

What made the book even more special to me was that I'm a music lover. (Note that understanding music will help you better enjoy the book, but it's not mandatory.) If you've ever riffed to music or banged your head along with the beats, you'll know the high music generates. So to see Esther and Benny creating magic with their words and tunes is an awesome experience. How I wish I could hear their songs! This might remind you of "Daisy Jones and the Six", another fabulous book related to the music of the past. But music is the only linking factor; there's nothing else in common between the two books.

Where this book skids a little is in the last couple of chapters. After a splendid build-up of suspense and fear, the ending feels quite tame and hurried in comparison. But don't let this take you away from the book. The whole reading experience is mesmerising, regardless of this little flaw.

If you still haven't gauged my feelings about the book, here's the recommendation: Go for it if you
- love music.
- love well-developed plots and characters.
- enjoy a mixture of genres within the same story.
- want to try historical fiction beyond stories of wars or natural disasters or plain old romance.
- simply want a good book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I leave you with some of my favourite lines from 'The Songbook of Benny Lament'.

✔️ If you want to know what’s happening in a nation, look at the music.

✔️ He was good at keeping people’s secrets. Maybe that was the reason he was so big. The weight of people’s confidence is a heavy burden.

✔️ A movement might unite behind a face, but it needs every voice.

✔️ When you are born into something— a culture, a religion, a place— how do you separate it from who you are?

✔️ People see what they see. They’ll think what they think. And I can’t do a damn thing about it.

✔️ You gotta have dissonance to appreciate the resolution.

✔️ If we knew how bad the world really is, how ugly, how unfair, and how dark, we wouldn’t be able to go on.

✔️ None of us can help who we are. We are born into the world we are born into. The family. The skin. Nobody gets to choose those things. You can’t be mad at a man for who he is. Only what he is . . . and the choices he makes.

✔️ May we seek to learn each other’s stories so that we might love each other a little better. - from the author's note at the end.

❤️❤️

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