Brian: Taking Courage 1. Parborough Chronicles

I would have sworn that I left a review when this was finished but obviously did not, so here it goes.

Great story, well written, and the characters are so interesting and well developed.  There are a couple that you never even really get to meet in the story itself, but you truly feel as if you know them and have a visceral reaction to them when they are mentioned.  

And interesting premise behind the story, but the presentation and the way the story just immediately grabs you; pulls you into it from the first.

A couple of really off beat characters but for the most part, just regular folks that have gone about their lives trying to make the best of their situations.  The live their lives openly and have family and friends that mean a great deal to them.

There are multigenerational members of more than one family; and it is great to see how their lives interwove into each other and those around them.  

I am hoping that @Robert Hugill decides to circle back to these characters at some point, because I would love to have an update on any number of issues.  

This story was the introduction for readers to the talents of @Robert Hugill, and what prodigious talents he possesses. The "cast" is not large and most of them, apart from Russ Khan, are ordinary people living ordinary lives. If that sounds boring, well nothing could be further from the truth. 

Robert's characters for the most part are likeable and without artifice. The relationships they establish, and in some cases disestablish, are believable and very well written.

As noted by Robert in his précis of the story, there is some idiomatic language to be found when reading this story, which I invariably found amusing, charming and quintessentially English, and which adds further lustre to a very impressive literary "debut" (at least on this site).

Highly recommended if you like stories which are well written, character driven, and laced with healthy doses of humour and repartee.

A true 5 star experience. 

Brian: Taking Courage is a story about two men and a boy whose lives change and develop into something quite beautiful. This is a heart-warming read that lofts the spirit and inspires hope. 

A truly excellent read. We are promised more but that which we have in this first volume is a great story of a returning soldier bringing with him issues from the past and having even bigger ones to face once he arrives: ex, son, parents, ex-colleague.  
 

All this is told with a deft hand and beautiful prose.  A delight to read, thank you and congratulations, @Robert Hugill.