Official Review: The Greatcoat by Lawrence DAntonio

[Christabel Uzoamaka]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Greatcoat" by Lawrence DAntonio.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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The Greatcoat by Lawrence D’Antonio is a fiction piece that exposes the drastic consequences and trauma that result from war. With a focus on the Stenerude and D’Alessandro families, the author tells a riveting tale of family, combat, and forgiveness.

Herb Stenerude is a war pilot in the US Army whose plane is shot down by the German enemies during World War II. Even though he physically survives the attack, he witnesses a tragedy that leaves him mentally scarred. Years pass by, and Herb becomes a settled civilian with a beautiful family. Being unable to extricate himself from the war life, he decides to carry the burden of his trauma alone. His actions leave his family members with one burning question: will he take his secret to his grave?

On another note, there is continuous drama for the children of the Stenerude and D’Alessandro families. As they create new homes and embark on their quest for soul-searching, can they find happiness when the pains of war are ever-present? Amidst bomb blasts, terrorist attacks, and horrible calamities, these families discover and surmount the hardships of life together.

I must admit that from the first page, I was hooked. This story had me cupping my mouth and patting my chest at all the right places. At first, I mistakenly tagged this novel as a classic war tale of a soldier’s discovery of the disasters caused by war, but it is much more than that. D’Antonio did a great job in fusing a masterpiece war story with a story of family and togetherness. Also, the author’s words were very pictorial; it felt like I was the one living out the tragic experiences of Herb. I do not want to reveal too much, so I will only say that this book is a must-read.

I especially loved that the characters were realistic. The themes of trauma, friendship, and death were explored, and the author left no major character unscathed. I noted the expert character development; it pleased me no end. While this story was exceptionally written, and I would have loved to award it four stars, I have decided to give it a rating of 3 out of 4 stars.

The author began the narration using the omniscient point of view. Eventually, the rest of the story was recounted by Tommy D’Alessandro in the first-person narrative style. My problem with this was that the author’s transition from one narrative style to another was not expertly done. During Tommy’s narration, I discovered that the author tried to revert to a third-person narrative style, albeit unsuccessfully; this confused me, as I often could not tell when it was Tommy narrating or not. Also, this book was professionally edited, as I only found minor comma errors. It is owing to these reports that I deducted one star.

While I found no profanity, this book contains very graphic scenes, and so, I advise caution to sensitive readers. This piece also contains intense erotic scenes; thus, I do not recommend it to children or anyone opposed to eroticism in books. I highly recommend this piece to readers interested in war stories with a bit of romance.

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The Greatcoat
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[Misty20058]

I finished this book not too long ago. I was in awe of how the author made all of the characters so realistic. I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a good war novel. Thanks for the amazing review.

[Okafor Prosper]

I'm not too interested in war stories, but it's great to see that the author includes other elements in the story that will keep my attention.

[Dominik_G]

I'm not generally interested in war-related books, however, The Greatcoat seems to be a lot more than that. With its well-developed characters and personal perspective, it's tempting. Thank you for your great review!

[riyosha]

This sounds like a good read. I hope I get the chance to review this book. Thanks for the nice review

[Elvis Best]

With a focus on the Stenerude and D’Alessandro families, the author tells a riveting tale of family, combat, and forgiveness.

This part got me hooked. I would def love to read this book. Thanks for the insightful review. Good job!

[Vic Chimezie]

War is hard to recover from. It is evident in some countries we know. I think this book will be an interesting read. Thanks for your detailed review and recommendation.

[Adanna Inya]

This is an interesting read. Will Herb truly take his secret to the grave? I want to know too.

[Rodel Barnachea]

This looks like a work of fiction that beautifully shows the repercussions of being in a war. Thank you for crafting this great review!

[MeganDJ]

Wow, it sounds like a truly spectacular read about war and the trauma that is often ever present with those who survive. Not many can captivate and keep your attention from the very first page. Thank you so much for your honest and thorough review! Happy reading

[Susmita Biswas]

Sounds good, and I think I can give it a try. Great review.

[Letora]

I am generally not a fan of war stories, and I think the switch in point of view would make me put this book down. Great review!

[kdstrack]

This is a time period that interests me, especially when the author highlights a different unknown aspect of WWII. I am especially curious about the tendency of the soldiers of this time to hold their experiences in and not share them with others. I wonder, like you say in your review, would he carry his secret to the grave? Great review!!

[LuciusM]

I like war stories cause they appear to be like Documentaries. Great review.

[JKO]

Will Herb Stenerude take his secret to his grave? I suspect not. I look forward to seeing how it all plays out. Thanks for the engaging review. I especially enjoyed your summary.