The Unknown Soldier

Rating:
Summary: Thought-provoking "epic"
Review: India is a land of beauty and promise for medical student, Darrell Lee: His studies are going well, and his housemates are friendly, hospitable and fun to fool around with. Even the day's growing heat and blistering sun are bearable when he is so distracted with love sickness. A beautiful Japanese woman has captured Darrell's heart, you see, and liberated his common sense as well. Love is blinding, after all, and has the ability to set aside one's everyday cares in favor of beautiful dreams.

Tamara is his soul mate, of that he is certain, but what of her family's disapproval, and their refusal to let her wed a Chinese man? As the months pass, and his training progresses, Darrell begins to believe he has a future with Tamara, that they have beaten the odds...only to learn the bitter, soul-rending truth. Many years later, however, Darrell is sent on a second journey of discovery through an unusual set of circumstances. With war raging in the background, and his memory a blank, is it possible to begin life anew, heart-whole, or will the ghosts of his past continue to haunt his dreams and prevent him from reaching for happiness?

THE UNKNOWN SOLDIER is an ambitious work of fiction, and as such, a difficult novel to review. High marks are given to Dr. Heenie Lee for his accurate accountings (which are based on personal experiences, by the way) of Darrell's medical training in India, his Malaysian upbringing, and his ill-fated stint as a Captain in the Royal Welsh Fusiliers. The multi-faceted plotline is truly epic in scope, and has thought-provoking threads to it -- threads which intertwine with the past and present, and tease readers with beguiling elements of the metaphysical and the fantastical, of fate, karma and reincarnation. These self-same threads will also befuddle discerning readers, however, and make it a real challenge to connect the dots, so to speak.

Questions only beget more questions, and shed little light on Darrell's extraordinary journey through time. Why? and How? are questions of prophetic important, yet they remain largely unanswered, forcing readers to interpret the plot's complicated developments and thereby arrive at their own conclusions. But perhaps that's the very purpose behind the nebulous, unexplainable happenings subtly, and not so subtly, woven into Dr. Lee's finely wrought prose: To make one ponder the imponderable; to acknowledge the many faces of love; and finally, to equate duty and desire with sacrifice and suffering.

A story within a story, this novel has two separate and distinct focal points, as well as a multitude of personal crises to engage a reader's interests. Although there are commonalities within the carefully developed and individualized time frames, it's a struggle to tie everything together, as I previously mentioned. Dr. Lee's strengths as a writer are characterization and the nurturing of relationships, rather than exploratory and extraneous details. Friendships, kinships, and cross-cultural relationships enrich and humanize the storyline while creating much needed, if somewhat over dramatized, conflicts. Darrell's romantic entanglements are volatile and tumultuous, yet innocent and endearingly naive at the same time.

I found the latter half of THE UNKNOWN SOLDIER the most evocative, however, and capable of wringing a few tears from an admittedly died-in-the-wool romantic, one who views the world (albeit, the fictionalized world) through rose colored glasses. War has a way of stripping away all beauty, civility and hope, and leaving the bare bones of one's soul exposed. Darrell's soul has already taken quite a beating, but he still has the heart of a hero, and the admirable drive to right what wrongs he can without revealing too much, and risking the future. I can only imagine the weight of such decisions, and the arduous responsibilities involved -- and be grateful that my life is so unencumbered.

In summation, Dr. Lee has succeeded in delivering a provocative novel of frenzied emotion and dramatic sentiment. If there are lingering questions in a reader's mind, so much the better, I suppose: One will be left with a firm impression of the ups and downs of Darrell's spiritual journey. Life and love go hand and hand, and the results aren't always pretty.

Rating:
Summary: Thought-provoking "epic"
Review: India is a land of beauty and promise for medical student, Darrell Lee: His studies are going well, and his housemates are friendly, hospitable and fun to fool around with. Even the day's growing heat and blistering sun are bearable when he is so distracted with love sickness. A beautiful Japanese woman has captured Darrell's heart, you see, and liberated his common sense as well. Love is blinding, after all, and has the ability to set aside one's everyday cares in favor of beautiful dreams.

Tamara is his soul mate, of that he is certain, but what of her family's disapproval, and their refusal to let her wed a Chinese man? As the months pass, and his training progresses, Darrell begins to believe he has a future with Tamara, that they have beaten the odds...only to learn the bitter, soul-rending truth. Many years later, however, Darrell is sent on a second journey of discovery through an unusual set of circumstances. With war raging in the background, and his memory a blank, is it possible to begin life anew, heart-whole, or will the ghosts of his past continue to haunt his dreams and prevent him from reaching for happiness?

THE UNKNOWN SOLDIER is an ambitious work of fiction, and as such, a difficult novel to review. High marks are given to Dr. Heenie Lee for his accurate accountings (which are based on personal experiences, by the way) of Darrell's medical training in India, his Malaysian upbringing, and his ill-fated stint as a Captain in the Royal Welsh Fusiliers. The multi-faceted plotline is truly epic in scope, and has thought-provoking threads to it -- threads which intertwine with the past and present, and tease readers with beguiling elements of the metaphysical and the fantastical, of fate, karma and reincarnation. These self-same threads will also befuddle discerning readers, however, and make it a real challenge to connect the dots, so to speak.

Questions only beget more questions, and shed little light on Darrell's extraordinary journey through time. Why? and How? are questions of prophetic important, yet they remain largely unanswered, forcing readers to interpret the plot's complicated developments and thereby arrive at their own conclusions. But perhaps that's the very purpose behind the nebulous, unexplainable happenings subtly, and not so subtly, woven into Dr. Lee's finely wrought prose: To make one ponder the imponderable; to acknowledge the many faces of love; and finally, to equate duty and desire with sacrifice and suffering.

A story within a story, this novel has two separate and distinct focal points, as well as a multitude of personal crises to engage a reader's interests. Although there are commonalities within the carefully developed and individualized time frames, it's a struggle to tie everything together, as I previously mentioned. Dr. Lee's strengths as a writer are characterization and the nurturing of relationships, rather than exploratory and extraneous details. Friendships, kinships, and cross-cultural relationships enrich and humanize the storyline while creating much needed, if somewhat over dramatized, conflicts. Darrell's romantic entanglements are volatile and tumultuous, yet innocent and endearingly naive at the same time.

I found the latter half of THE UNKNOWN SOLDIER the most evocative, however, and capable of wringing a few tears from an admittedly died-in-the-wool romantic, one who views the world (albeit, the fictionalized world) through rose colored glasses. War has a way of stripping away all beauty, civility and hope, and leaving the bare bones of one's soul exposed. Darrell's soul has already taken quite a beating, but he still has the heart of a hero, and the admirable drive to right what wrongs he can without revealing too much, and risking the future. I can only imagine the weight of such decisions, and the arduous responsibilities involved -- and be grateful that my life is so unencumbered.

In summation, Dr. Lee has succeeded in delivering a provocative novel of frenzied emotion and dramatic sentiment. If there are lingering questions in a reader's mind, so much the better, I suppose: One will be left with a firm impression of the ups and downs of Darrell's spiritual journey. Life and love go hand and hand, and the results aren't always pretty.

Rating:
Summary: The Unknown Soldier
Review: Setting: India in the 1970s and World War II

THE UNKNOWN SOLDIER is a mesmerizing love story about a young Chinese medical student in India and how he is love struck by a beautiful Japanese student. His roommates tell him he hasn't a chance with her, but Darrell Lee doesn't give up easily and wins over the lovely Tamara, as well as her doubting brother Kiichi, a martial arts expert. It isn't long before Tamara and Darrell are confessing their love for each other. However, it turns out to be a bittersweet affair and soon Darrell is saying goodbye to the woman he loves so desperately.

Darrell is a fine young man who experiences two wonderful, but fleeting loves, one in the future, and one during the time of World War II. This tale of reincarnation is fascinating and compelling as it weaves the same type of relationships in both of his lives. One thing is for certain, I'm sure many of you men will be wishing you had the same charismatic effect on women that Darrell has. <Grin> I'm not telling you since I don't want you to miss reading this enjoyable story.

After reading THE UNKNOWN SOLDIER, I was wondering how many times this love story will be repeated, and if Darrell's children will experience a similar fate? Darrell had a pure spirit that was unconquerable in the face of impossible odds. I know I couldn't put the book down until I finished it. I enjoyed learning about life in India for the young medical students, the martial arts, and the experiences and decisions that Darrell had to make in World War II. I loved how he dealt with his passionate love for two women, crossing many cultures, and the devastation he felt when he lost them. I'm looking forward to seeing what Dr. Lee's second novel will focus on since the first was so engrossing.

"A beautiful bittersweet tale of love that grabs you from the beginning. The reincarnation theme makes it a special and compelling read. A highly recommended read!"

Suzanne Coleburn, The Belles & Beaux of Romance/Reader To Reader Reviews

Rating:
Summary: The Unknown Soldier
Review: Setting: India in the 1970s and World War II

THE UNKNOWN SOLDIER is a mesmerizing love story about a young Chinese medical student in India and how he is love struck by a beautiful Japanese student. His roommates tell him he hasn't a chance with her, but Darrell Lee doesn't give up easily and wins over the lovely Tamara, as well as her doubting brother Kiichi, a martial arts expert. It isn't long before Tamara and Darrell are confessing their love for each other. However, it turns out to be a bittersweet affair and soon Darrell is saying goodbye to the woman he loves so desperately.

Darrell is a fine young man who experiences two wonderful, but fleeting loves, one in the future, and one during the time of World War II. This tale of reincarnation is fascinating and compelling as it weaves the same type of relationships in both of his lives. One thing is for certain, I'm sure many of you men will be wishing you had the same charismatic effect on women that Darrell has. I'm not telling you since I don't want you to miss reading this enjoyable story.

After reading THE UNKNOWN SOLDIER, I was wondering how many times this love story will be repeated, and if Darrell's children will experience a similar fate? Darrell had a pure spirit that was unconquerable in the face of impossible odds. I know I couldn't put the book down until I finished it. I enjoyed learning about life in India for the young medical students, the martial arts, and the experiences and decisions that Darrell had to make in World War II. I loved how he dealt with his passionate love for two women, crossing many cultures, and the devastation he felt when he lost them. I'm looking forward to seeing what Dr. Lee's second novel will focus on since the first was so engrossing.

"A beautiful bittersweet tale of love that grabs you from the beginning. The reincarnation theme makes it a special and compelling read. A highly recommended read!"

Suzanne Coleburn, The Belles & Beaux of Romance/Reader To Reader Reviews

Rating:
Summary: deep well written Asian romance worth reading
Review: Though Chinese from Malaysia, Darrell Lee comes from England to attend medical school in India. Darrell meets his three housemates who tell him about the Japanese girl, Tamara Nakajima. Though they have not met, Darrell instinctively knows she is one true love. However, Tamara's brother Kiichi acts more like a warden keeping her safe from unacceptable advances that he defines.

Following a lecture, a collision occurs with Tamara falling on top of Darrell. Instead of fluster and embarrassment, Tamara kisses Darrell. Kiichi comes to break them up and break Darrell's bones, but his true love intercedes. Darrell tries to court Tamara, but Kiichi informs him that no Chinese is acceptable for his Japanese sister.

Darrell intercedes when men try to rape Tamara at a beach. He is badly beaten up, but refuses to back down until Kiichi, martial arts expert, arrives and dispatches the nasty predators. As Darrell heals, Kiichi realizes they are deeply in love and he owes his sister's beau for risking his life.

Though a reincarnation romance as Darrell and Tamara have been lovers in previous lives, the key to this delightful insightful tale is the deep cast, the eastern religion, and the Asian settings. Darrell is a great caring protagonist who shows his love for Tamara with every ounce of his essence. Tamara is a bit impish and some of her ruses to buy them time together seem extreme but fans will love her antics for love anyway. The roommates are classic young adults away from home proving race, religion, and national origin mean nothing to that homogenous group, species student. UNKNOWN SOLDIER is a deep well written Asian romance worth reading.

Harriet Klausner

Rating:
Summary: deep well written Asian romance worth reading
Review: Though Chinese from Malaysia, Darrell Lee comes from England to attend medical school in India. Darrell meets his three housemates who tell him about the Japanese girl, Tamara Nakajima. Though they have not met, Darrell instinctively knows she is one true love. However, Tamara's brother Kiichi acts more like a warden keeping her safe from unacceptable advances that he defines.

Following a lecture, a collision occurs with Tamara falling on top of Darrell. Instead of fluster and embarrassment, Tamara kisses Darrell. Kiichi comes to break them up and break Darrell's bones, but his true love intercedes. Darrell tries to court Tamara, but Kiichi informs him that no Chinese is acceptable for his Japanese sister.

Darrell intercedes when men try to rape Tamara at a beach. He is badly beaten up, but refuses to back down until Kiichi, martial arts expert, arrives and dispatches the nasty predators. As Darrell heals, Kiichi realizes they are deeply in love and he owes his sister's beau for risking his life.

Though a reincarnation romance as Darrell and Tamara have been lovers in previous lives, the key to this delightful insightful tale is the deep cast, the eastern religion, and the Asian settings. Darrell is a great caring protagonist who shows his love for Tamara with every ounce of his essence. Tamara is a bit impish and some of her ruses to buy them time together seem extreme but fans will love her antics for love anyway. The roommates are classic young adults away from home proving race, religion, and national origin mean nothing to that homogenous group, species student. UNKNOWN SOLDIER is a deep well written Asian romance worth reading.

Harriet Klausner