Book Blurb:
Bud Richardville is inducted into the Army as the United States prepares to enter World War II in 1943.
A chance comment has Bud assigned to the Graves Registration Service, where his unit is tasked with locating, identifying, and burying the dead. Bud ships out, leaving behind his new wife, Lorraine: a mysterious woman who has stolen his heart but whose shadowy past leaves many unanswered questions.
When Bud and his men hit the beach at Normandy, they are immediately thrust into the horrors of what working in a graves unit entails. Bud is beaten down by the gruesome demands of his job and losses in his personal life, but then he meets Eva, an optimistic soul who despite the war can see a positive future. Will Eva’s love be enough to save him?
My Thoughts:
When I received the request to read this book, I was interested and thought the CE would be as well. I’ve read many fiction books with all kinds of tales of WWII (and the CE many more), but neither of us ever conjured a unit specifically assigned to retrieve, identify, and bury the thousands who did not survive. And just when you thought no assignment could be worse than the front lines, along comes the story of the 606 Graves Registration Service.
The story of Bud is tragic and evokes strong emotions, a sense of having lost a buddy in arms, a brother you knew and loved, naïve even with his battle-weary experience. He rushed into a marriage after he was drafted at 29 and quickly became a unit leader owing to his civilian experience and age. The responsibility for his men weighed heavily on him. In the meantime, there was little communication from his bride, Lorraine never reciprocated the loving notes he wrote to her.
Bud’s unit landed in Normandy shortly after the first assault, moved onto the Battle of the Bulge, witnessed the carnage of the underground tunnels of Brest. They were allowed a short break in Luxembourg City before traveling to Dachau, even more horrific and deadly to the psyche.
Somewhere in the middle, he meets Ava and while she represents love, respect, and respite from the war experience he never receives from Lorraine, it adds a Catholic note of guilt to their relationship. Still, the reader holds out a glimmer of hope that this will end well for Bud. That life will go on post-war.
The conclusion may not be what the reader expects, however, and the reveal is shocking. Something I didn’t know and couldn’t fathom might not have been an uncommon occurrence. War is hell. 5 stars
His Thoughts:
The battlefield is littered with the dead and dying. Sometimes there is only a part of the former soldier or combatant and identification is impossible. These are represented by the tombs of the Unknown Soldiers. Anne Montgomery has written a very touching story about the people who handle the deceased in the war zones.
This story is thoughtfully written by the author and reviews the struggles that Joseph “Bud” Richardville encountered during WWII. Imagine handling thousands of dead individuals including German and concentration camp victims as well as the thousands killed during such tragic days as D-Day and the invasion at Normandy!
The gathering of the victims from the invasion still trapped inside landing craft or killed at the beaches was horrific. Collecting and identifying the dead at the beach and preparing the military cemeteries was a daunting task. Laying out the grids and making sure that the resting places are well structured and symmetrical took careful attention to detail.
This book follows the life of “Bud” Richardville as he wrestles with the daily task of deceased military personnel being sorted and identified to receive a proper burial. Some of the casualties may include nothing but a shoe with a foot inside. The Quartermaster Graves Registration Company at times assisted in burying the enemy dead with dignity as well.
Ms. Montgomery handles this saga with respectful humanity. The horrors of war are manyfold and should never be forgotten. I congratulate her on her excellent handling of this very emotive subject. 5 stars – CE Williams
We received a complimentary review copy of this book from the author that in no way influenced this review. These are our honest thoughts.
Book Details:
Genre: Biographical Fiction, Historical World War II Fiction, World War II Historical Fiction
Publisher: Next Chapter
ASIN: B0CT3JCZ46
Print Length: 233 pages
Publication Date: May 29, 2024
Source: Author
Title Link(s):
Amazon-US | Amazon-UK | Barnes & Noble | Kobo
The Author: Anne Butler Montgomery has worked as a television sportscaster, newspaper and magazine writer, teacher, author, and amateur sports official. Her first TV job came at WRBL-TV in Columbus, Georgia, and led to positions at WROC-TV in Rochester, New York, KTSP-TV in Phoenix, Arizona, and ESPN in Bristol, Connecticut, where she anchored the Emmy and ACE award-winning SportsCenter. She finished her on-camera broadcasting career with a two-year stint as the studio host for the NBA’s Phoenix Suns. Montgomery was a freelance and/or staff reporter for six publications, writing sports, features, movie reviews, and archeological pieces. Her novels include The Castle, A Light in the Desert, Wild Horses on the Salt, The Scent of Rain, and Wolf Catcher. Montgomery taught sports reporting at Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication and taught high school journalism for 20 years. She was an amateur sports official for four decades, a time during which she called baseball, ice hockey, soccer, and basketball games and served as a high school football referee and crew chief. Montgomery is a foster mom to three sons and a daughter. When she can, she indulges in her passions: rock collecting, scuba diving, theater, and playing her guitar.
©2024 CE Williams – V Williams
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