First Line Friday — The Long March Home

5 May

Happy Friday! I am so pleased to feature The Long March Home, a WWII-era novel set in the Pacific from two great authors, Tosca Lee and Marcus Brotherton. Their collaboration inspired by true stories is sure to be an excellent book. Look for my review in a few weeks.

Here’s the first line:

I admire the new cut of my khakis in the latrine mirror, flexing just enough to test the stretch of the shirt across my shoulder blades.

Jimmy Propfield joined the army for two reasons: to get out of Mobile, Alabama, with his best friends Hank and Billy and to forget his high school sweetheart, Claire. 

Life in the Philippines seems like paradise–until the morning of December 8, 1941, when news comes from Manila: Imperial Japan has bombed Pearl Harbor. Within hours, the teenage friends are plunged into war as enemy warplanes attack Luzon, beginning a battle for control of the Pacific Theater that will culminate with a last stand on the Bataan Peninsula and end with the largest surrender of American troops in history. 

What follows will become known as one of the worst atrocities in modern warfare: the Bataan Death March. With no hope of rescue, the three friends vow to make it back home together. But the ordeal is only the beginning of their nearly four-year fight to survive. 

Inspired by true stories, The Long March Home is a gripping coming-of-age tale of friendship, sacrifice, and the power of unrelenting hope.

5 Responses to “First Line Friday — The Long March Home”

  1. Catherine @ Book Club Librarian May 5, 2023 at 10:30 am #

    World War II fiction i.s so popular and I enjoy reading it. This book is particularly appealing because I don’t find as many that are set in the Pacific. I’ll be taking a closer look at this one and may add it to my TBR list

  2. Cindy Davis May 5, 2023 at 10:46 am #

    LOL, I knew as soon as the first line started that was a man thinking!

  3. Nicole Santana May 5, 2023 at 9:33 pm #

    I’m currently reading Murmur in the Mud Caves by Kathleen Denly. It’s a pretty good read!
    “Sweat soaked Biddie’s bodice and dripped down her face as she worked with Lucy and Virginia to fill their wheelbarrow with clay from the banks of the narrow creek bed.”
    I hope you have an excellent weekend! 😀❤️📚

  4. Paula Shreckhise May 6, 2023 at 9:57 am #

    April 18, 1861 Washington D. C.
    Most days, I could pretend that my life was normal.
    From In This Moment by Gabrielle Meyer

  5. Danielle Grandinetti May 8, 2023 at 8:17 am #

    I’m reading Loving the Rancher’s Children by Mindy Obenhaus and the first line is: “Alli Krenek hadn’t felt this well rested in ages.” Have a great week!

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