ARC (NetGalley) Review: Dove (The Freedom Series, Book One) by M. H. Salter

Here is my review of the second book I was approved for advanced review.

Dove

The Freedom Series, Book One

by M.H. Salter

Daytime Moon Publishing

Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Members’ Titles

General Fiction (Adult), History

Description:

Japhy would sacrifice his freedom for people he will never meet. Ray would sacrifice all those unknown people just to protect him.

In 1970, when Japhy receives his draft notice for the Vietnam War, he and girlfriend, Ray, become Dharma Bums. They pack their lives into a duffel bag, and hitch their way to the Canadian border – a safety zone that, once a draft dodger enters, he can never leave. Ever. Not to see family. Not to help injured friends. Not even to attend a father’s funeral.

On the road, Japhy and Ray are joined by flower children, Leaf and Laura, and all four decide to find a hippie commune in Toronto where they will be free of their demons, and safe with their secrets. Or will they?

Amidst a colorful whirl of psychedelics, love-ins, original music, and political protests, Japhy and his friends discover everything has a price, freedom is not free, and true peace comes at a cost whether you are fighting for it in a war or simply within the depths of your own soul.

How far would you go for freedom?

(As a companion to this novel, a CD soundtrack is available by James Lee Stanley.)

My thoughts:

Some parts of the plot were predictable while others, not so much. And I’m glad those parts weren’t. I could not bring myself to conform with all of Heather’s ideals, and I could almost gasp and the nobleness of Andy’s. Even so, the shifting narrative had me glued to my laptop screen, and I just had to see this through. There is the first-hand glimpse at hippie culture, the terror of war changing you, and on top of it all, there is the deeply personal voices that tell the story of how they bleed, and how their choices shape them. All against the backdrop of Nixon flying more and more troops to Vietnam, destroying families and freedom in the name of the country.

An engaging read. Definitely something to learn from.

And that last chapter definitely has me hooked, at least as long as the next book.

I’d give it a five, but it’s a bit too frustrating at times.

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Disclaimer: I received this book free of cost from the publisher through the NetGalley review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”