MWSA Book Review

My Father's Keeper

Authors:  Kip Vander Hyde

Publisher:  Sea Lark Press

Reviewer: Bill McDonald – President of the MWSA

A Brilliant WWII Novel that is Absolutely Mystical

Kip Vander Hyde has taken WWII history and fantasy stories into a new and improved genre with his novel “My Father’s Keeper.”  His story deals more than just with father and sons and what war does to men but also adds in some personal spiritual discoveries. This is not your same old World War II story that you have already read or seen in some old black and white movie – this is a whole new approach to understanding relationships through a little mystical intervention.

The main character in this story travels to Guadalcanal looking for some understanding of his deceased father and why their relationship seemed so distant and strained at times. He goes to the battle fields where his dad once fought six decades before in hope of discovering something about his father and perhaps himself as well. This is where the story takes a huge leap into the new age as he somehow is transported back in time to the battle and among the young men fighting there. Ultimately, he seeks out his 19 year old father and in the midst of the raging battles they grow to become close buddies. The author’s very creative efforts actually allow you to suspend your disbelief, as you accept this as some kind of Einstein possible alternate universe and begin to get into the story and learn about each man.

There is a great deal of factual history in this story as it jumps successfully through fantasy and fact with ease. This book is entertaining beyond a doubt but it is also a story about forgiveness, love and relationships and more importantly, a spiritual understanding that grows between father and son.

Hyde is a brilliant wordsmith and he puts his story together with great skill and imagination. The dialog fits well with the action. The characters in the book seem so real that they jump right off the pages into your heart and mind. This book was well crafted and is certainly an original genre. His ending with its time travel indications will open up your thought processes. There is a good mixture of humor, drama, action and the full spectrum of emotions, all mixed into a storyline for the ages. This book is destined to become a classic tale. It is that incredible of a story that you will want to recommend it to others as I am to you.

You will not forget this story. After you finish reading it, you will not emotionally walk away from it for a long time; as you examine your own relationships with others in your life. This book, even though it is a novel and even though it deals with issues that seem surreal, will inspire and enhance your own personal inner search for understanding; not many novels will do that for you.

I give this book our top rating of FIVE STARS!  

This is MWSA’s “2006 Silver Medal Award for Historical Fiction”

Reviewer: Joe Fabel – MWSA Review Board

Boy, did this story ever grab my interest! Jack Macmillan, the main character, experienced a meeting with his apparently estranged father. But his dad had been deceased for many years!  During a search for meaningful evidence of his father’s time as a Marine on Guadalcanal, Jack is suddenly transported back in time and is immersed in the actual fighting during that World War II battle. Of course, Jack has no idea what has just transpired; he is confused and disoriented. Nevertheless, he is stuck in the situation for the duration.

The marines need to deal with this individual who suddenly appears without proper identification. Jack is quickly assigned corpsman duties. Eventually he discovers that his father, at this time a nineteen year old, is a medic with a neighboring group of marines. In order to understand who and what his old man really is, he must not allow his dad to know that they are related. They are constantly bumping into each other when attending to wounded marines. Soon they are on a first name basis.

Battles are fought, the wounded and the dead abound, fatigue is a constant companion while Jack and his father attend to their duties. Jack begins to treasure the moments when he and his dad can grab some time to talk. He realizes that dad is a man of great conviction and commitment, a man who does not hesitate to place himself in danger when administering to the wounded. 

Oh, yes, the outcome of the story is special. Does Jack “wake up,” does he get back home “in the future”? The answers are waiting for you in the novel. It is a must read. I recommend this novel for an MWSA award.