Gooseberry Island is the most nuanced, dramatic, and romantic novel yet from a writer whose ability to plumb the depths of human emotion knows few peers.
Excerpt:
David had been home for six weeks when he pulled into
the market, preparing to locate everything on his mother’s grocery list. As he
approached the store, he spotted a young teenage boy walking out; he was
holding a brown bag. An older man approached the boy and reached out his hand.
David gasped and his dizzy mind immediately raced back to Afghanistan and the
horrific beating of the young Afghani boy:
There was movement three hundred yards out on the street
below. Unusual, David thought. It was
a teenage boy, maybe fourteen, carrying a burlap bag and hurrying home before
dark. Never seen him before, David
thought.
In a flash, a man—a Taliban fighter—jumped out of the
shadows and grabbed the boy’s arm, pulling him to the street and spilling the
contents of his sack. As the teenager yelled for help, another Taliban soldier
emerged from the darkness. The boy screamed louder, but not a single soul came
to his aid…
It only took a few seconds, but the whole scene played out
in sequence in his mind—both men yelling and slapping the boy as he screamed
for help; the slaps turning to a vicious beating until finally the boy was
dead. He could almost hear Command say “Negative” again after he asked if he
could intervene. He felt the anguish in his soul threatening to overwhelm him,
but it was quickly replaced by a burning rage.
Paperback & Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Gooseberry-Island-Steven-Manchester-ebook/dp/B00OPAFIDK/
Steven Manchester is the author of the #1 bestsellers, Twelve
Months and The Rockin' Chair. He is also the author of the award-winning novel,
Goodnight, Brian, as well as the critically-acclaimed novel, Pressed Pennies, A
Christmas Wish (Kindle exclusive), Wilbur Avenue (novelette), Just in Time
(novelette), The Thursday Night Club (novella) and Gooseberry Island. His work
has appeared on NBC's Today Show, CBS's The Early Show, CNN's American Morning
and BET's Nightly News. Three of Steven's short stories were selected "101
Best" for Chicken Soup for the Soul series. When not spending time with
his beautiful wife, Paula, or their four children, this Massachusetts author is
promoting his works or writing. Visit: www.StevenManchester.com
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