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Retirement. Publishers, thank you for the many years of reading pleasure you gave me, but all good things must come to an end. Due to failing eyesight I am forced to retire. I can no longer review your books, and any that you send will be donated to the local library, unread. Do not send any more. I can only read for a couple hours every day, and this does not allow me to finish a book in reasonable time. I will be devoting time to my own books from now on, and reading on a personal level. Books that interest me. I prefer paperbacks and hardbacks, not eBooks. My eyesight has been failing the last few years, and I cannot handle hundreds of review books any more. My books are still available for review. Anyone interested in reviewing any of them, they are found in the Link to Tom’s Books On Amazon. Contact me for pdf copies at fadingshadows40@gmail.com

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Boricua Brat Review Correction

I typed the incorrect spelling of Boricua in the previous heading, and wish to correct that typo. When searching for the book, it is "Boricua Brat", not Baricua Brat", my apology to the author. The corrected Review is posted below.

Boricua Brat (Nonfiction)

“Coming Of Age As A Military Dependent”
By Nelson Pacheco
ISBN #978-1611560008
190 Pages
Price: ebook $2.99
Rating: 5-Stars

“So the soldiers went overseas, accompanied by their families, cars, barbecues, cats, and dogs. We were the kids that went with the package.” The Author

This novel is a wonderful chronicle of a young dependent growing up as a military brat. And for someone facing a brand new language, there was even more difficulties. That he succeeded successfully is evidence of his determination. From Puerto Rico to New Jersey, and finally to southwestern France, the author grew up in a Dorm at Poitiers, four hour’s drive from his parents, who were stationed at St. Nazaire. The Army bussed the Dorm kids home on weekends to spend a few days with their parents every Friday, but from Sunday night until Friday afternoon, their home was a small room shared with three other boys in a two-story building. Boys were in one wing, the girls in the other, both had Dorm supervisors to keep order. Some of the lucky few were living in homes off Post with their parents, if they happened to be stationed near the school. At Poitiers, the High School was located in a compound named Camp de Chalon, which also consisted of a military hospital, and a 9-hole golf course and athletic field.

I was an Army MP at Poitiers and had occasion to interact with students and teachers, and constantly marveled at the young men and ladies who attended school while I was there. The reader will be fascinated by their way of life as they read through the author’s reminiscences of his four years of Dorm life, and the lifelong friendships he gained. Those four years shaped his future, and left a lasting memory of everyone he met. His broken heart, when he lost his first love, will make you sad. You will also feel his emptiness when friends departed before him. And you’ll smile and laugh at the mischievous antics he and his pals got into. 

This book is highly recommended for all military brats and their families, regardless of when or where they went to school, or branch of service.  Well written, and nicely told, it was a fun read!

Tom Johnson
Cold War Heroes

1 comment:

  1. Thanks, Tom. It's interesting that we were both in the same base in France nearly 50 years ago, both have books related to that experience, and it took us this long to connect. Cold War Heroes, which I thoroughly enjoyed, and Boricua Brat make two nice bookends to frame the military experience in the early years of the Cold War.
    Nelson Pacheco

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