Customer Reviews

Shadows of Glory

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1 star:		(1)

 

 

SHADOWS OF GLORY marks the return of Abel Jones, the sterling and completely engaging character first met in Parry's FADED COAT OF BLUE. And what a welcome return it is. Living up to its billing as "a novel of historical suspense", SHADOWS delves into a shrouded but powerful threat to the Union during the Civil War, gathering force far from the front lines. Sent to a remote area of New York State to investigate the threat, Major Jones encounters a community of vividly drawn characters, one of which is nature itself in all its wondrous beauty and force. The social issues and interests of the period, as well as the intriguing diversity of people that populated the region, are deftly and gracefully presented through the characters themselves; historical fact blends seamlessly with the fiction. Even though Abel is far from the battlefields, the brutal urgency of the war is evoked through a series of heart-rending letters dispatched to him by a friend who is serving as a surgeon with General Grant's forces.

It should be noted that with this excellent book, Owen Parry does present the reader with something of a dilemma: It is a genuine page-turner but the urge to gallop through the story is countered by the exquisite writing which invites you to slow to a trot and revel in the language. And that is a most rare and appreciated dilemma for any reader.

Just as I was beginning to wilt in this summer's heat, along comes Owen parry with "Shadows of Glory," the second in his projected series of novels detailing the adventures of Abel Jones during the American Civil War. "Shadows" picks up where "Faded Coat of Blue," the first book in the series ends. Protagonist Abel Jones, the Welsh immigrant, is now promoted to major in the Union Army and a "confidential" agent of the U. S. government, is dispatched to the Finger Lakes region of New York State. There's something ominous brewing up there. Federal agents have been murdered and there are strange doings in the neighborhood of Penn Yan and Lake Keuka. Are the Rebels at work up there? Well, Jones is just the man to find out what.

Upstate New York? The Civil War? How can anyone tie the two together? Well, Parry does and he does it with the same mastery of place, time, character and language that made "Faded Coat of Blue" such a refreshing plowing of that hallowed literary ground that was the Civil War.

Now I come from those parts where the story takes place and Mr. Parry has walked the hills and lakeshores up there, wandered through those haunted woods and immersed himself in the mid-nineteenth century history of Upstate New York. Almost forgotten now is the Spiritualist movement that enthralled Americans back in the 1850s and '60s. The Spiritualists thought they could communicate with the dead through "mediums," mostly rather ordinary women through whom the dead were believed to communicate with the living when the medium was in a state of unconsciousness or "trance." Many prominent people, among them the clergy, believed in Spiritualism. The movement plays a big part in this story and Parry to his credit treats it not with ridicule but with the respect any historical event deserves. But there is one incident in this book that made the hair stand up on the back of my neck. Maybe there was something to it after all?

Historical figures who were very much a part of the 1860s scene in Upstate New York -- Susan B. Anthony and Fredrick Douglass -- make appearances. Abel Jones looks at these greats through the eyes of a contemporary, a refreshing view to say the least!

But what's going on up there? Why is Secretary of State Seward concerned? Is it the Irish immigrants, the dreaded Fenians? Are Confederate agents at work? What role is the "learned professor," Master of Spiritualism, Mesmerism, Egyptology, Kildare (or is it Kilraine?) playing? What is he doing up in Rochester, meeting with a high-born Englishman? And what of the irascible Catholic Priest, Fr. McCorkle? What does he know that he's not telling?

And what of Nellie Kildaire, the Professor's daughter? Does she really talk to the dead? Is she insane? And what is this hold she seems to have on Major Jones, the stalwart Christian soldier?

Overshadowning everything is nature, the woods, mysterious and deep, the isolation of the farms in the countryside and one of the worst winters anybody can remember.

Parry keeps us in touch with the war in the South through letters written to him by Mick Tyrone, the Irish-born surgeon now serving with Grant in Cairo, Illinois. This is a delicious literary tool because I suspect these letters are harbingers of stories yet to come before our resourceful Mr. Parry is done.

Owen Parry has done it again. If this book does not establish him as one of the best contemporary writers of historical fiction in America, he's certainly one of the most original. Come on, book No. 3!

I'm a sucker for novels about the Civil War. Generally buy them and read them however bad they might be. Then I bought Owen Parry's FADED COAT OF BLUE. Fantastic. Found out that SHADOWS OF GLORY was just out and had to have it. Got it. Even better. You see this is not just interesting historical genre fiction. This is good literature. Mr. Parry (which I believe is a pseudonym and I wish I knew who the writer really was) places sentences with really incredibly-crafted imagery into every page. With most books we're lucky to get a good line per chapter. With this book there are several per page. Paraphrasing one I can remember when protagonist Major Abel Jones enters the house of a minister in Pen Yan, NY in the dead of winter. He describes it as "... a lean shiver of a house." Brrr. You can feel the chill to your bones. So buy this book if you like good historical fiction, but savor all the tasty, well-baked phrases. Read slowly because you'll be sorry when it's over.

Shadows of Glory delights the reader in so many areas: plot, characterization, sensory exposition. The story continues the sleuthing adventures of Abel Jones, an idiosyncratic Welshman, newly-made American, and reluctant recruit into the cloak and dagger world of Civil War spies, intrigue and murder. Brutal, senseless murders have occurred in upstate New York and rumors of Irish insurrection abound, and President Lincoln and Secretary of State, William Seward, have ordered Abel to get to the bottom of the mess.

In the course of his detective work, Abel encounters remarkable and unforgettable characters, some historical and some fictional, that both help and hinder the progress of his investigations. Frederick Douglass and Susan Anthony assist Abel in his delving and Owen Parry's characterizations provide intriguing insight into these complex, yet intensely human, historical figures.

A pivotal role, played by the consumption-ridden, seance-seducing, psychic, Nellie Kildare, is riveting and captures the 19th century fascination with seances and psychic phenomena. Abel is also aided by the character of John Underwood, the straight-forward, straight-shooting local New York sherriff whose desire for justice is only exceeded by his love of his town and his people.

In addition, Shadows of Glory reintroduces some of my favorite characters from Faded Coat of Blue: the effervescent, incorrigible Irishman, Jimmy Molloy and the introspective and committed surgeon, Dr. Mick Tyrone.

Shadows of Glory is a veritable feast of the senses and the food descriptions absolutely delight. Interspersed with the horrors of war--its brutality and greed, and mind-numbing descriptions of surgery without anaesthesia, are dining descriptions to enchant the mind and senses, descriptions of food robust enough to make you yearn for hearty, thick stews and flaky crusted, gloden, home baked pies, served hot on icy cold evenings.

Shadows of Glory is a fitting and well conceived sequel to Faded Coat of Blue. The novel is a quick read; the text is wonderfully lyrical and the plot manipulations are brilliantly executed, making the reader eagerly await the arrival of the next Abel jones adventure.

I hesitate to write this review. Seems that whenever I come across something relatively unknown yet so different and so good you hope and pray it remains a true cult item, sharing the experience only with an inner circle you know will equally appreciate it...the reviewers and the talk shows and NPR and the general public soon thereafter just pile on, and ruin it all.

An acquaintance whose judgment I value mentioned this obscure new writer, Owen Parry, to me last year, shortly after Parry's first book -- "Faded Coat of Blue" -- appeared. I was skeptical about the recommendation, since I've found most historical fiction to be little more than period costumes and backdrops over 20th century voices and values. Parry changed all that for me. Even more than the first Able Jones installment, Parry's "Shadows of Glory" is a mesmerizing experience. Merely to describe the book's rich plot or characters would be superfluous; Parry accomplishes so much more than just tell a terrific story.

Parry's writing is absolute alchemy: from the opening words, you are physically thrown through the looking glass with all senses intact onto the frozen ground of northeast America in the brutal winter of 1862. In upstate New York, the Civil War - but for brief and distant glimpses of its rawest horrors - is a muted noise amid the intrigues, shadows, secrets, conspiracies, madness, and fear that attend regional obsession with spiritualism and rumors of an imminent Irish rebellion. Through the cadences and consciousness of its Welsh narrator, "Shadows of Glory" captures in time so perfectly both the mean landscape and the damaged souls populating it, that reading it becomes a virtual reality excursion. Beyond all this, "Shadows of Glory" -- modestly, almost deceptively, packaged as "a Civil War mystery" -- offers its lasting gift: a sublime and unforgettable meditation on the human condition, in all its darkness and redemptive grace. Parry's work leaves you a wiser and better person.

It somewhat bothers me that Amazon's ratings can give books only up to five stars, because amid the forgettable & regrettable stuff out there tagged with the same, Parry's a class apart.

Owen Parry's first book: Faded Coat of Blue was captivating-- a delightful milestone in popular historical fiction. It that first work, Parry displayed a true master's talent and skill in combining well-researched settings of civil war Americana and some of the most memorable characterization ever. However, Parry created a level of anticipation with the promise of a series that could have diminished his initial, applaudable effort if it had proved less than brilliant. But Shadows of Glory is just that, brilliant. And its readers have been richly rewarded. When do we get #3!?

I have now read all three of the Civil-War-era novels available to date from Owen Parry and I thoroughly enjoyed each one. The books are gorgeously written, and the picture of the wartime United States that Parry is constructing is convincing, hypnotizing and remarkable. But, of the three novels, this is my favorite. I've noticed that this seems to be the most controversial book in the series, but, for me, it's just what a historical novel should be: realistic. There isn't a shoot-'em-up on every page. Instead, this is a book for grown-ups, one that skillfully portrays the society of the time--including the penchant for seances and spiritualism, which is described so eerily well that the reader can almost understand the appeal. While there are some wonderfully-done battle scenes from Grant's Fort Henry and Fort Donelson campaign, the heart of this book is character--Abel Jones (the finest narrator I've ever met on the page), Nellie Kildare, the "spirit girl," a bitter, ferocious Irish priest and plentiful renegades of every description. While this is, visually, a snow-swept book, it's thematically the darkest of Parry's novels, going beyond a historically-accurate mystery to peer deeply into the human soul. This novel should not be characterized as a "historical" or a "mystery." It's just superb fiction that transcends genre. And I know of no better portrait of bygone America. A beautiful book!

These are wonderful books that reveal what words can really do, when wielded by a true talent. They bring a fascinating period in our history to vivid life, without glorifying or glamorizing the horror of war, which you can practically smell coming off the page.

Others have remarked on the cleverness of the references and cameo appearances that sent me scurrying to my encyclopedia for more info. Clever but not grandstanding.

Having read the first two volumes, I'm torn between rushing through the next two or taking a breather, so I can savor them fully.

Finally, I wish I had more clues to the person behind the pseudonym. What else has he (or she?) written?

Owen Parry, author of Shadows of Glory, will I predict, soon become one of the premire Civil War authors of Historical Fiction. His writing style creates a vivid picture of each person and place, evocative of Hawthorne and the "Scarlet Letter". He has selected as his hero and narrator, Major Jones, a Christian whose courage and conviction are very admirable. This audio series was one the best I have ever heard. The voices and drama of the read were smoothly and wonderfully presented. I was moved again and again by the presentation and the story.

A friend gave me this book as a Christmas present, and it turned out to be a remarkable gift. This is the most beautifully-written novel I have read in years. The plot and characters are haunting--Abel Jones is a brilliant creation, and Nellie Kildare is one of the few ethereal, almost ghostly "mad" women who come to convincing life on the page. As a one-time literature teacher, I recognize how very hard this is to bring off. These characterizations are masterful. The war's atmosphere, from the battlefield to the home front, is captured with flawless skill, and the suspense works on multiple levels. But what I found most enchanting about this book was the writing itself. The prose manages to be lyrical, even poetic, with ever tipping over into excess. It flows on the page with uncanny ease--an indication of very hard work on the author's part, as well as of genuine talent. Mr. Parry understands the use of language to a degree that sometimes seems lost today. The unerring rhythms and color of ethnic speech, the evocation of landscape, the delineation of characters in a few sharp strokes--all of this works at a classic level. This novel deserves prizes; however, given that it's labeled as a genre piece, I suspect it will be pushed aside by the usual, repetitious "in-crowd" novels. But forget the formal awards. Read this book. You will not be disappointed, no matter what your tastes in fiction. I only hope the author can continue to deliver work of this quality in the future volumes he promises. Very well done, indeed!