Customer Reviews

Glimpses of Paradise: A Novel

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Zenith, Nebraska. June 1916. A postage stamp costs two cents. Woodrow Wilson is President. The Great War looms in Europe. And the lives of two young people are about to change forever.

Doyle Lawrence is 17 years old, his life already mapped out for him: attend Princeton, learn to be a gentleman, then join his wealthy father's law practice. "And the Miller girl," the elder Lawrence admonishes Doyle one evening, "is not someone you should be seen with."

Zee Miller's father is a strict Baptist preacher whose belief in the evil of motion pictures butts heads with Zee's burning desire to become an actress. When her father finds her copy of Picture Progress, the magazine published by Paramount Studios, he forbids her to read the material or to entertain her foolish notions one moment longer. But the acting bug has bitten Zee harder than her father imagines, and life in small-town Zenith soon becomes a strangling chain around young Zee's neck. "When Joan of Arc was tied to the stake, Zee saw herself in that role. Not only that, she saw herself as Joan of Zenith. She would burn up here into ashes."

At the end-of-the-year high school dance, Doyle asks Zee to marry him, but Zee refuses. Not because she doesn't love Doyle. She does. But she doesn't want to hold him back, and she can't give up her Hollywood dream either--the dream no one else, not even Doyle, believes in. Someday, she will show the world.

When the U.S. declares war on Germany, Doyle drops out of Princeton to enlist and is soon shipped off to Europe. He returns home months later no longer a boy on the verge of great things. He's a broken man whose innocence died on the battlefield. Zee's innocence has also died, but in a different kind of battle. They both eventually find themselves in the City of Angels, each unaware of the other. She's in L.A. to become a movie star, Doyle simply to survive. How far will Zee go in her quest for stardom? Will she find a way to redeem her life even as Doyle falls in love with her best friend?

I don't normally read historical novels, but Glimpses of Paradise held my interest on every page. The scenes clip along at break-neck speed, and historical facts are seamlessly entwined into the story. It's hard to guess who's a real historic figure and who's fictional; they all feel real. With its speakeasies, thugs, and ruthless opportunists who try to ruin Doyle and his friends, Roaring 20s Los Angeles stands up and breathes in this story.

For those familiar with James Scott Bell's contemporary legal thrillers, don't think he's ditched his signature courtroom drama in this one. There's plenty of legal action, it just doesn't take center stage until later in the novel when Zee is accused of murder. Readers of Jim's previous historical series will also be pleasantly surprised at the re-appearance of beloved character Kit Shannon (one of Jim's personal favorites), who plays a small but satisfying role in Glimpses of Paradise.

Particularly intriguing is the inclusion of real historical figure R.A. Torrey, an evangelist who won his first convert after hearing Dwight L. Moody preach in 1878. Slower scenes in Torrey's point-of-view are interspersed throughout the book, detailing his struggle to defend his Christian beliefs against the watered down theology of his day, and it's Torrey's influence that first challenges Doyle's notions about the things of God.

Glimpses of Paradise has it all. War. Romance. Suspense. History. Overall, it's an extremely satisfying read from one of fiction's masters.

--Reviewed by C.J. Darlington for Infuze Magazine

I generally read non fiction. Occasionally, I go to the library and pick up a book and have to renew it before I finish it. Not so with Glimpses of Paradise.
I loved how the author weaved the lives of the main characters together. While initially, his references from RA Torrey didn't seem to fit, they pulled together and gave the book a touch of the master plan.
I wanted to read the book because it is set pre-WWI to post WWI in Nebraska and LA, a period and place I am not well read in. Reading for me has to be educational before being entertaining. I got both in Glipses of Paradise.
Now I want to own all of James Scott Bell's books.

In Nebraska, teenager Zee Miller, a minister's daughter, looks forward to leaving town for Hollywood stardom though her parents object to her dreams. Her friend Doyle Lawrence is being pressured by his wealthy father to follow in his footsteps by studying law though the lad has doubts. However, World War I shatters everyone's thoughts of the future with Doyle dropping out of school to fight overseas while Zee heads to the bright lights of Los Angeles.

After serving in France, Doyle returns burned out with no desire to please his father by studying law. He drifts around until he arrives in Los Angeles; at the same time Zee remains below the Hollywood food chain. When these former idealistic high school pals meet, Zee is climbing the ladder using the alias of Taylor Layne while Doyle has met his beloved Molly. However, a murder with Taylor on trial and more will devastate their world, but a glimmer of hope radiates between them that faith and love can bring miracles even when sacrifice and tragedy occur.

GLIMPSES OF PARADISE is a fabulous historical fiction novel that brings to life the aftereffect of World War I on a former GI and on someone so removed from the fighting mindful of those like this reviewer "sacrificing" nothing while soldiers fight in Iraq. The story line is action-packed yet driven by Doyle and Zee. Readers will understand his disillusionment with everything until Molly comes along. Zee also loses her idealism as she is grinded by the Hollywood beat. Yet through all this darkness, a light of hope begins to twinkle as James Scott Bell provides a fine 1920s tale that feels so relevant today.

Harriet Klausner

When I picked this up, I wasn't too sure what to expect. Would it be historical? Would there be some action? Would it paint a picture of the will of God? All 3 of those questions are answered yes! In "Glimpses of Paradise" there is a lesson. God can take anything, and use it for His purpose. This takes us into the early 1900's. From Nebraska to Los Angeles, from dusty church pews to illustrious parties among the rich and famous!

Zee Miller and Doyle Lawrence are two totally different people. They also have early childhood affection for each other. But Doyle goes off to war, and Zee sets out to get rich and become the actress her father would never let her be. They both break away from their families, and set out to live their own lives. People get hurt, fights break out, tempers flare, and God is at work in the crazy midst of it all. Blood boils, and the booze flows, and the bootleggers think themselves ever so slick! We may even receive a surprise visit or two from one Kit Shannon Fox. Who knows!

James Scott Bell set out to write something that would grasp the heart. So in a sense, this really isn't just a glimpse, but a darn good look at what some people call reality. And an even bigger look at what an extraordinary God can do in ordinary situations. He's been in that business for quite some time! And James Scott Bell can go about his business with another great read for his readers. When the time comes, I'll simply crack the cover for a quick glimpse... then I'll indulge in what he has to offer!

I'd wanted to read this book for some time, so I started reading it right after I bought it. I was immediately drawn in by the characters of Zee and Doyle, who were realistic, likeable, and well-developed. The plot was good and quite different from typical historical fiction. As the story progressed, I couldn't seem to enjoy it quite as much. It started to feel slightly repetitive, and the law aspect came in much, much later than I had expected. Zee and Doyle were still excellent characters, but the circumstances they were placed in became less interesting to me. I also didn't like the addition of the incredible stereotypical "good girl" character. All of the other characters were so well-developed and unique, but this character (I won't tell who, you'll be able to tell if you read the book!) was so static and unchanging that she didn't even seem realistic, as the others did. The ending, though different than I expected, was well done. But, overall, the style in which the book was written was beautiful, and the majority of the characters are excellent! All this to say, not my favorite book ever, but still a good read!

I don't know how James Scott Bell just keeps getting better and better. I enjoyed this book so much that I cried at the end. I didn't want it to end. I fell in love with the characters. I loved having him mention real characters from that era and the plot was gripping and unexpected. Great read!

James Scott Bell has done it again. Glimpses of Paradise brilliantly portrays the coming of age of two young people as they struggle with parental expectancies and their own dreams. Doyle Lawrence finds himself on the battlefields of France in WWI fighting evil, while his childhood friend Zee Miller chases her dream to Hollywood to become a movie actress.

Ever the masterful story-teller, Mr. Bell brings the era of the early twenties alive before your eyes and makes you care about his characters. With unexpected twists in the plot and characters that aren't stereotyped, Bell has given us a page-turner. One of the best reads of the year!

In Glimpses of Paradise, James Scott Bell brings unique, dynamic characters into a setting that will ignite your imagination. He weaves fascinating historical facts and even historical individuals into a plot filled with unexpected twists, cliff-hangers, humor, tragedy, and victory. I loved this book, and did not want it to end.

If you're in love with James Garner, you're probably around Jim's age bracket. If you love Emeril, you probably love cooking or at least eating. And just like in the movies or television, you get most involved with characters in books that are like you in some way--your age, your geographic location, your hobbies. Something about the protagonist connects with you.

James Scott Bell is an award-winning author, yet the first 78 pages of Glimpses of Paradise just didn't connect with me. It's a coming-of-age novel that looks at Zee Miller, the stereotypical rebellious daughter of a hellfire-and-brimstone preacher in 1916, and her main infatuation, Doyle Lawrence, the eldest son of a prominent lawyer who is expected to follow in his father's footsteps.

The characters in the beginning seemed cliche and starchy. It wasn't until I persevered through one-fifth of the book that the action and characters became a little more authentic and interesting.

After high school, Zee runs away to make it big on the stage and then begins a downward spiral both emotionally and morally. Doyle attends Princeton for a year, but then joins the military and is sent to the European theatre of war where he pairs up with a sweet country-bumpkin named Alvin. The book follows Zee and Doyle's lives -- through Zee's decisions to do whatever it takes to make it big and Doyle's post-war shock and despair. In the end, the two do meet again and the conclusion of the book isn't nearly as cliche as the beginning.

If you can persevere, the book is worth the read.

"Glimpses of Paradise," by James Scott Bell, is more than a novel...it's an epic work in which this extraordinarily talented writer places well-defined, interesting characters against a historical background which includes World War I and the 'silent era' of early Hollywood. The dramatic story includes, but is not dominated by, a criminal trial--a subject which Bell, an attorney himself, always conveys with stark realism. And, even though the subject inexplicably turns away some readers, Bell once again reveals his strong Christian beliefs, and how they can be decisive in overcoming the trials and tribulations of our lives here on earth. I've enjoyed and recommended all of the books by James Scott Bell which I've read...and most certainly "Glimpses of Paradise" is no exception. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
--R. Howe (aka Toby Martin II)