![Some Glad Morning by [Horton, Gary C.]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41szVe6VmjL._SY346_.jpg)
We know from the first page of Some Glad Morning that Ransom McTavish is a quiet young man with a gentle heart, but as we follow him to the Great War and back - only to discover he's since lost the little he had in the world - then on the road to find love and fortune, we learn that he's determined and strong, as well. An innocent with the soul of a poet he may be, but he's neither stupid nor lazy, and as he encounters people who both help and hinder him on the difficult road to make his mark, his own generosity of spirit wins him far more friends than enemies.
This book is the kind of "quest" novel one finds most often in fantasy: penniless hero must go on the road to find the grail/princess/magic potion that will save the kingdom. What I loved most about it was that instead of dragons and trolls and evil knights, as he travels the hero of Some Glad Morning is battling chronic human stupidity in the form of racism, violence, poverty, greed, and sheer pig-headedness. But in the end more people are inclined to help Ransom on his journey than not, so while it at no time feels unrealistic and there's still plenty of awfulness to go around, ultimately the theme is one of hope and possibility.
Above all, Horton excels at vivid renderings of place and people. You can feel the icy mud in the trench in France and see the wounded and stunned Ransom struggle to ease the suffering of the men dying around him. You can smell the river and the scents of fish and cornbread cooking out of doors, picture Amelia Rose with her hair loosed and the rope wound around her waist as a belt, taste poor Cecil Owens' salvaged moonshine burning your throat. With a never-ending parade of real and fascinating characters - from the Masseys on their farm to Froggy in his shack, from lost waif Caleb to the high-flying Ace Edwards - we get to not just watch Ransom on his travels, but be on the road with him, experiencing it all.
This is one of those stories that reminds you, without being the least bit preachy, that we're all in this journey together. It's a great book for hard times and a wonderful debut novel. I hope to see many more from Mr. Horton!
Review
Some Glad Morning has a soul.It positively soars!
The vivid detail in painting the life and trials of RansomMacTavish during WWI left me an emotional wreck. Ransom is a quiet, kindSouthern boy that joins the war far too young. The rough yet idealistic life heled up to that point didn't prepare him for the horrors of the war, but withstrength and determination, he survives.
Because of the letters.
Everyone needs something to hold on to during times of heartache and sorrow.Ransom finds his tether to sanity tied to the letters. The words entrance himand as he is surrounded by death and destruction, the love that emanates fromthem keep his mind from breaking.
I cried. I laughed. I felt my own memories of my great-grandfather surface,because only men from that era exhibited the raw strength of character thatRansom does.
Take a step back to a time of real heroes that risked everything for honor andpride.
--AshleyFontainne, internationalbestselling author of Eviscerating the Snake series.
Because of the letters.
Everyone needs something to hold on to during times of heartache and sorrow.Ransom finds his tether to sanity tied to the letters. The words entrance himand as he is surrounded by death and destruction, the love that emanates fromthem keep his mind from breaking.
I cried. I laughed. I felt my own memories of my great-grandfather surface,because only men from that era exhibited the raw strength of character thatRansom does.
Take a step back to a time of real heroes that risked everything for honor andpride.
--AshleyFontainne, internationalbestselling author of Eviscerating the Snake series.
From the Author
Some Glad Morning is a strong love story set in the Old South, but it's not a formula romance. There is no sex or bodice ripping. It's the story of a poor boy way out of his element as he seeks the love a wealthy Charleston lady. The writing has a literary feel and, while there is a strong plot, the characters are fully rendered and infinitely memorable.
