Review of Aces in the Wind

[Sarah Schmidt]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Aces in the Wind" by David Lee Cooper.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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Aces in the Wind is a historical fiction novel written by David Lee Cooper. Set in the tumultuous twentieth century, it chronicles the lives of different members of a certain family, filled with the ups and downs of their experiences as they navigate a rapidly changing world.

Known only as the Boy, our protagonist opens the story by describing the world as he saw and remembered it from his childhood. It is simple and innocent and misleading. The Boy introduces his parents, James and Eva, who quickly set themselves up as the source of their own, and the Boy’s, misery. The Boy understands one thing: fighting is love. The book segues into the lives of James and Eva and their respective upbringings. Both raised in a small town, the two are brought up by Viola and Angus and Emma and Jacob, respectively, with each family trying their best to make it through the Great Depression, then World War II. Hard lives and few opportunities take their toll on the families, and as time passes, they devolve into the worst of themselves, helped further along by alcohol and a lack of accountability. Will the Boy follow in his predecessors’ footsteps and make one bad decision after the next, or will he break out of the family mould and rise above the hand life has given him?

This story was a cycle of pain, blame, and abuse, where, at some point or the other, most of the characters doubled as both the villains and the victims. I liked this portrayal, showing that, as humans, we all have our failings, hurting others even when we don’t intend to. The innocence of the characters in their early years sharply contrasted with the monsters they would later become, showing how their past shaped their actions. Out of the many characters, I liked Emma the most. She inflicted the least hurt on those around her, and this is of note as her draw of the lot was no worse or better than any of the others.

Meshing with the idea of his being a whipping post for his parents’ venting, I noticed that the introductory character, the Boy, had no name, and I interpreted that to mean no identity. His role acted as the endpoint of generations’ worth of mistakes, nearly culminating in his making a fatal decision. He escapes from the mire of his family’s problems, and readers are left with only guesses as to how his life pans out.

I also liked the occasional pop-in by popular, if not exactly savoury, names of that era. Bonnie and Clyde were written in as acquaintances of Viola’s, and even Pretty Boy Floyd made an appearance, with Viola remarking that he was ‘a good-looking man’ when he patronized the restaurant at which she worked. The assassinations of Bobby Kennedy and Martin Luther King were also included.

There was so much going on in this story that one might have a hard time keeping track. Apart from the frequent location shifts, Cooper narrates the experiences of three generations of a family. He delved so far into flashbacks within flashbacks that, when he returned to the Boy’s perspective, I felt jarred out of place and was stuck trying to scrimp together all the different storylines. I didn’t like this plot device, and I feel it needs to be improved on, especially as the chapters run somewhat on the lengthy side.

Because of the number of errors that I found in this book, I assume that it has not been professionally edited. This is another of my dislikes. Also, it’s important to mention that the story has significant doses of disturbing elements, such as co-dependency, attempted rape, domestic violence, suicidal ideation, and the like, so a content warning for profane, sexual, and triggering material is well needed.

I give Aces in the Wind a rating of 3 out of 4 stars. The editing quality is the only true shortcoming of this book, warranting a deduction of one star from my final rating. The story was credible otherwise, with the hardships the characters face making them relatable. I recommend this book to people who enjoy historical novels with interconnected protagonists. This book would perhaps not be a good match for those readers who enjoy chronological timelines or stories free of mature content.

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Aces in the Wind
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[Alexander C Schmoock]

Lovers of historical fiction novels will have a great time reading this one. Great review.

[Nessa Taylor]

Historical fiction isn't really my thing but I can see how the characters might make the book interesting.

[Lucy Vera]

There's certainly a wide range of themes of go around in this book. I'd love to read it.

[Immaculate06]

The book cover design is a clear representation of the title. From the review, the character encounters different things and it would be nice to know how it ended. Good review.

[Nwadinso Okoro]

The book cover design is a clear representation of the title. The book follows a cycle that makes it uniquely interesting. Good review.