The Loop

by Edmund Burry

Fred Bartlett returns from the Great War a changed man, unemotional and detached from reality. Back home in Newfoundland, he lives with his brother’s family in Goose Cove, a small community that is now part of the town of Trinity. Fred works as a blacksmith in the Green Family Forge, where the demanding physical work allows him to keep his inner demons under control.The Loop is a novel which intricately intertwines factual historical events with the Bartlett family’s story as seen through the lives of Fred and his nephew Billy with the First and Second World Wars as a dramatic background.As a young boy growing up in Goose Cove, Billy Bartlett believes he has uncovered the compelling secret that haunts his uncle, but he can tell no one. Only many years later while serving overseas in the R.A.F. during the Second World War does Billy discover his uncle’s story, the woman he loved, and the true reason for the sadness that has consumed him....it just may be too late. The Loop is an adventurous and dramatic story that will steal your heart from the beginning and hold you spellbound to the end.

176 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 1, 2010

Reviews

[Sheila · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, like Edgar Sawtelle, I had a love/hate relationship with this book. Great story line and characters well developed, especially Nellie Bartlett. I loved the nostalgia about the Goose Cove community and the folklore that makes each place special and unique. The details that Fred experienced during his time in battle during the Great War were amazing. I felt like I was in "no-man's land." The love story/tragedy was typical but heart warming nonetheless. What I did NOT like was that details were brief. This book could have easily been developed into a wonderful 2 part series. To stir the readers imagination was great, but it lacked depth, vision, and grandiose moments. If Edmund Burry had added more flourish, war detail, inner thinking of the characters, this would have been an out of the park wonder. I enjoyed it immensely, but couldn't help feeling the absence of life issues, etc. in each of the 21 chapters. I recommend the book, but be prepared to desire more depth.