Amazon Bestseller
Book Blurb:
We leave shadows, not footprints.
Newlywed Danny McKenna’s honeymoon ends abruptly when he learns his father has died, uncannily, on the same day as his hero, Frank Sinatra. Returning home to his knotty Irish American family, Danny is confronted with a painful truth—while he knows everything about the famous singer, his own father is a mystery. Tasked with giving a eulogy for a man he hardly knows, Danny sets out to uncover his dad’s past—an immigrant’s tale of mid-twentieth-century America and the harsh realities of WWII lived in stark contrast to Frank Sinatra’s famously extravagant life.
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Along the way, Danny’s own demons nearly destroy him as he struggles to accept his father’s deepest secret—a journey that takes him into the heart of darkness before he learns to live in the light.
Fame, family, and forgiveness are among the many themes in Doug McIntyre’s debut novel, a story full of vibrant scenery, gripping characters, humor, and profound moments of self-realization. Frank’s Shadow is a deeply (sometimes darkly) human story wrapped in the trappings of a delightfully gritty love letter to New York City’s less glamorous neighborhoods.
His Review:
Growing up as the youngest son of four brothers after WW II was not easy. Francis Mc Kenna was the perfect age for induction into the US Army. He was married with children but would not abandon his country in its time of need and went to serve his country in Europe.
Frank could have had a deferment but there was no way this Irish immigrant was going to let someone else fight for him. Of course, he weathered some prejudice from others because he was the offspring of Irish immigrants. They were not gladly absorbed into the growing melting pot that was the United States of America.
He participated in the Allied landing at Normandy and he and his fellow soldiers fought to save bridges necessary for the onslaught of the German homeland. He started on the shores of Normandy and fought his way into Nazi Germany. The U.S. military utilizes a “buddy system” which endears people to each other during the war. His buddy committed a very egregious act. Frank ended his buddy’s career and then walked away from the war.
The military has no patience for someone who loses the will to fight after experiencing so many physical atrocities. Frank laying down his weapon and walking away from the battlefield is a drastic error. He is brought up on charges of desertion and put into a military stockade. He doesn’t care; he refuses to pick up a gun and fire it at anyone. Never Again!
This is a very interesting and unique narrative of one soldier’s experience during the Second World War. 4.5 stars – CE Williams
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book. These are my own opinions given freely.
Rosepoint Publishing: Four point Five Stars
Book Details:
Genre: Contemporary American Fiction, City Life Fiction
Publisher: Greenleaf Book Group Press
ASIN: B0C8PVB5DW
Print Length: 317 pages
Publication Date: July 18, 2023
Source: Publisher and NetGalley
Title Link(s):
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo
The Author: Doug McIntyre is the long-time columnist for the Southern California News Group which includes the Los Angeles Daily News and Orange County Register, as well as the creator of Red Eye Radio heard nationally on hundreds of radio stations. He also hosted a successful show on WABC in New York City and the long-running “McIntyre in the Morning” on KABC in Los Angeles. A television and film writer/producer, McIntyre has written for all the major networks, including the hit series, Married… With Children, WKRP in Cincinnati, Full House, Mike Hammer and the award-winning PBS series, Liberty’s Kids. As an emcee, Doug has hosted evenings with Steve Martin, Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda, President George W. Bush, Betty White, Misty Copeland, John Cleese, John Glenn, Ken Burns, Malala Yousafzai, Colin Powell, Robert Redford and many others. Doug and his wife, actress/writer Penny Peyser, wrote/directed and produced the award-winning documentary, Trying to Get Good: The Jazz Odyssey of Jack Sheldon. New York born and raised, Doug and Penny live in Los Angeles.
©2023 CE Williams – V Williams
