Book Title: Fourth and Forever
Author: Bert Carson
Publisher: CreateSpace
Genre: Fiction
Reviewer name: Javier
Rating: 5 LIGHTNING BOLTS
Blurb: To escape the lingering sorrow of his wife's death, Josh Edwards, forty-four, a retired Army helicopter pilot, journeys with his son to Missoula, Montana to start life anew. Josh's son, Bobby, enrolls at The University of Montana, where he hopes to make the football team as a walk-on. Josh, a skilled football kicker and passer, is observed by the Grizzlies coach as he and Bobby work out on the practice field. When tryouts arrive, Josh finds himself being invited to join the team. Thus begins a season of trials and tribulation where Josh becomes mentor and father-figure to his teammates, as the University of Montana Grizzlies make a run for the Division I National Championship.
Review:
Bert Carson captures the heart of a reader from the very first page. Josh "Daddy" Edwards is a man who displays a quiet strength and a level of kindness that's heroic, humble to a fault despite having lived much that any lesser man would happily brag about. The parallels drawn between football, Vietnam, and life itself, read like sage advice that we could all apply on our daily lives. On a personal level, the relationship between Daddy and his son Bobby, struck a chord in me, for I'm fortunate to have a similar relationship with my dad. I could go on and on about both men, but suffice to say that I connected with the story on so many levels that I found it to be an incredibly fulfilling read. It's one I'll be thinking about for a long time to come, and one that I will draw from for advice for myself, for a friend, for my kids.
Bert Carson offers an understanding of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, an affliction he’s never shy about admitting from his time in Vietnam. As part of his personal mission to bring awareness to PTSD, he has “Daddy” give the reader an insight that feels as though a switch has been thrown on, shedding bright light on the issue. What’s more amazing is that it turns out PTSD is not just something that happens to veterans. It’s something with which we are all familiar at some level, for we experience it throughout our lives.
Over all, Fourth and Forever is a work written from the heart and it leaves a lasting impression along with a new perspective, making the reader take note of what's truly important in life: living in the moment for the moment, so when life gives you fourth down and forever, you go for it!
It was a real privilege to read Bert Carson inspiring work.
PRINT version on Barnes & Noble
Great review! While this sounds like a book that would appeal more to men, the review definitely highlights the family/father/son relationship which I think would be good for a woman to read too. Thanks for the review.
ReplyDeleteVery kind of you, yes, although it's easy to assume it's a story for men, it really is a story for everyone and anyone who is part of a family, whether it's two people, or two hundred.
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