(Reviewed by Don Jung)
#CommissionsEarned
Madrid, 1937 – Civil War chaos has engulfed the country as the city is under siege. Amid uncertainty, three Americans are going there to find and hopefully exhume the remains of a dead American soldier and give him a proper family burial.
The deceased’s uncle hires Major Williamson, a former military commander, and his interpreter, John to join him in this search with a huge monetary reward for their efforts. John narrates this harrowing three days of trying to get the aid of the two warring factions so they can succeed in their efforts. What makes this story exciting is John starts out like a mundane public servant and surprises you as each hour unfolds.
While the search begins, John meets a fascinating young lady, Maripaz, and his love for her
gets him into a world of deceit and espionage that he is not prepared for. As their mission
takes off, his allegiance to the Major and to their goal is hindered by obstacles that test his resolve and his ability to survive. Does he continue his assignment, or does he throw it all away for this new love? I enjoyed how the writer mixes romance and war in a most unusual setting. If you are a romantic like me, you want love to win over everything else.
There are roadblocks everywhere they turn, and John must decide whether telling Maripaz the truth of his past will harm or help his driving love for her. I like the way the characters interplay their newfound love amid the traumatic times they are living in. It reminds me a little of the movie “Casablanca.”
As the story evolves, you learn more about John and his uncanny way of making the best
of the various situations he falls into. The Spanish are all wary of Americans coming to interfere in their affairs. How he handles this love affair as he intermixes with the
Nationalists (the Fascists), the Republicans (the Communists), SIM (the secret police)
and the Banditos is a study of what war does to people and how they survive in an unpredictable world.
John had an escape plan but it doesn’t include the girl so what does he do? The tale has you on the edge as you root for a story book ending. But does he succeed?
