Books Review: Author Homer Hickam

Since my DIL(daughterinlaw) is a gr888 book reviewer, see Calico Critic, I might as well tell you about the above author, whose most famous work is October Sky, aka Rocket Boys. I fell in love with Keeper's Son when I picked it up on Ocracoke last year about this time, Jan 09, while I was the pediatrician at Cherry Poiont, NC, taking care of many Coast Guard families staioned at Ft Macon.

The protagonist, Josh, is one of the Ocracoke lighthouse keeper's sons, joins the US Coast Guard right before the U-Boats start marauding the NC coast. The fascinting weaving of the story includes a love theme, a look at the German side of the war, and then the most climatic build of any story I have ever read. I wish I could tell you more but--well you know. Homer also wrote the quintessential history of the U-Boat war on our Eastern seaboard.

Then to top it off he carries our same hero and other salty Outerbankers to the Pacific theatre, engaging them at Guadacanal and the Solomons in the Ambassodor's Son. I will let you read this one to find out who it's named after and see another interesting historical character who was in the same island group at the same time.

If that's not enough, he takes our erstwhile group to Tarawa and again weaves in haunting, heartbreaking, believeable love stories that will grip you way after you have finished this cannot-put-down novel: The Far Reaches.

He changes themes back to his NASA experience in Back to the Moon. It is not only another fast read but so pertinent in our day of changing tactics for space travel.

My hats off to Homer Hickam!! By the way Red Hat is out there, about another subject he knows well since he grew up there: West Virginia coal mining. Check out his website: homerhickam.com

Thanks, Homer; I can't wait for another sequal following Josh Thurow (hope I spelled it right).