I hit a home run with the purchase of a book for my husband. While we sometimes love the same books, more often than not the books I read my husband would not pick up. When I saw a blurb for Far on The Ringing Plains by Murray Pura and Patrick E. Craig, I took a shot and ordered. My husband loved this book set in the early days of WWII in the Pacific theater. I am featuring the first line in the hopes that you too (or a friend or spouse) may also find this book intriguing. It is the first of a planned three part Islands series. My husband is eagerly awaiting the next release.
When I first saw the Islands, it was August 7, 1942, at 0400 hours . . .
In the spirit of The Thin Red Line, Hacksaw Ridge, Flags of our Fathers, and Pearl Harbor.
Realistic. Gritty. Gutsy. Without taking it too far, Craig and Pura take it far enough to bring war home to your heart, mind, and soul. The rough edge of combat is here. And the rough edge of language, human passion, and our flawed humanity. If you can handle the ruggedness and honesty of Saving Private Ryan, 1917 or Dunkirk, you can handle the power and authenticity of ISLANDS: Far on the Ringing Plains.
For the beauty and the honor is here too. Just like the Bible, in all its roughness and realism and truthfulness about life, reaching out for God is ever-present in ISLANDS. So are hope and faith and self-sacrifice. Prayer. Christ. Courage. An indomitable spirit. And the best of human nature, triumphing over the worst.
Bud Parmalee, Johnny Strange, Billy Martens — three men that had each other’s backs and the backs of every Marine in their company and platoon. All three were raised never to fight. All three saw no other choice but to enlist and try to make a difference. All three would never be the same again. Never. And neither would their world.
Patrick E. Craig is a lifelong writer and musician who left a successful songwriting and performance career in the music industry to follow Christ in 1984. He spent the next twenty-six years as a worship leader, pastor, and seminar speaker in churches and at retreats, seminars, and conferences all across the Western United States.
After ministering for a number of years in music and worship to a circuit of small churches in Northern California, he is now concentrating on writing and publishing both fiction and non-fiction books.
Murray Andrew Pura was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, and has traveled extensively throughout Canada, the United States, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. Ordained as a Baptist minister in 1986, Pura has served five churches in Canada and headlined numerous speaking engagements in Canada and the United States. He has five books published, was a contributor to the Life With God Bible, has been a finalist for The Paraclete Fiction Award, The Dartmouth Book Award, and The John Spencer Hill Literary Award, and has been shortlisted for the prestigious 2010 Kobzar Literary Award of Canada.
For more first line fun, head over to Hoarding Books.
Happy Friday!
This week on my blog, I’m sharing the first line from Remembering the Cowboy by Mandi Blake:
“Camille Vanderbilt was back in Wyoming on a mission: find Noah Harding.”
I hope you have a wonderful weekend 🙂
Hope you do too!
I’m so glad your husband enjoyed it so much!!! Have a wonderful weekend!
I’m currently reading Georgana’s Secret by Arlem Hawks (a very cool name, btw). I’m on chapter 12, so I’ll share the first line from there: “Seawater made poor wash water.” I think I’d have to agree! Hope you have an excellent weekend. 🙂❤📚
Thanks for sharing!
Happy Friday! I’ve been in the mood to read my old Victorian novels, so my first line is from “St. Elmo” by author Augusta J. Evans. This is not the actual first line, but one that I like for how descriptive it is:
“Until her wild song waked echoes among the far-off rocks, the holy hush of early morning had rested like a benediction upon the scene, as though nature laid her broad finger over her great lips, and waited in reverent silence the advent of the sun.”
Always great to revisit old favorites!
Reblogged this on Writing for God, Fighting Human Trafficking.
I like the review. Ordering for my husband.
🙂
On my blog, I am sharing the first line from the Christian non-fiction, Courage, Hope, and Healing by Mary Pappas. It’s the compelling story of her battle against cancer. Here, I will share the first line from Chapter Five: Staring blankly out of the dining room window, I waited for the telephone to ring.
I can relate to that line!
Happy Friday! Today, I’m sharing the first line from A Foreign Crown by Jen Geigle Johnson. “The mist over the water cleared enough that Prince Layton Christian Wilhelm could see through his spyglass the Jolly Roger unfurl off the topmast of the enemy ship.”
https://moments-of-beauty.blogspot.com/2020/07/first-line-fridays-foreign-crown-by-jen.html
That sounds swashbuckling!
Happy Friday!!
Over on my blog I am sharing the first line from Start with Me by Kara Isaac.
“Of course, this latest allegation has been a huge shock to all of us.”
https://www.musingsofasassybookishmama.com/2020/07/first-line-fridays-start-with-me.html
Have a lovely weekend!
I really need to read a book by Isaac. Thanks for sharing.
My first line is from DON’T KEEP SILENT by Elizabeth Goddard
Denver, Colorado
Dread warred with hope as Rae Burke shivered in the cold outside on the porch.
Finished that book over the weekend.