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Flower of Iowa
Flower of Iowa takes place against the turbulent backdrop of World War I. In France during the final months of the war in 1918, young American Tommy Flowers juggles the challenges of life in the trenches with an unexpected attraction to British soldier David Pearson. The men must navigate this revelation as the war reaches a crescendo. Flower of Iowa is a tale of love, bravery and tragedy.
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First published May 15, 2014
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259 people want to read
About the author
Lance Ringel
2 books13 followersLance Ringel has enjoyed a four-decade career as a journalist and writer. He first published his novel Flower of Iowa, about two soldiers who fall in love on the Western Front in World War I France, as an eBook in 2014. This debut met with unexpected success in the United States and Europe, and in 2020, the book was published in hardcover.
Concurrently, Ringel's reputation as a playwright was growing. His play In Love with the Arrow Collar Man, based on the true story of famed illustrator J.C. Leyendecker and his muse-lover Charles Beach, premiered at New York’s Theatre 80 St. Marks. Both Arrow Collar Man and the musical Animal Story, for which Ringel wrote books and lyrics, with music by Chuck Muckle, made the semifinals of the New York New Works Film Festival, and his stage adaptation of Flower of Iowa subsequently made the finals of the festival.
At Vassar College, where he has worked for 20 years, Ringel wrote Vassar Voices, which premiered at Jazz at Lincoln Center with Meryl Streep, Frances Sternhagen and Lisa Kudrow. He also wrote the narrative for At Home in the World, which played in Tokyo, New York, Washington, and Kampala, under the direction of John Caird.
A native of central Illinois, Ringel currently resides in both New York City and in Poughkeepsie, NY, with his spouse of 43 years, actor-composer-director Chuck Muckle.
Concurrently, Ringel's reputation as a playwright was growing. His play In Love with the Arrow Collar Man, based on the true story of famed illustrator J.C. Leyendecker and his muse-lover Charles Beach, premiered at New York’s Theatre 80 St. Marks. Both Arrow Collar Man and the musical Animal Story, for which Ringel wrote books and lyrics, with music by Chuck Muckle, made the semifinals of the New York New Works Film Festival, and his stage adaptation of Flower of Iowa subsequently made the finals of the festival.
At Vassar College, where he has worked for 20 years, Ringel wrote Vassar Voices, which premiered at Jazz at Lincoln Center with Meryl Streep, Frances Sternhagen and Lisa Kudrow. He also wrote the narrative for At Home in the World, which played in Tokyo, New York, Washington, and Kampala, under the direction of John Caird.
A native of central Illinois, Ringel currently resides in both New York City and in Poughkeepsie, NY, with his spouse of 43 years, actor-composer-director Chuck Muckle.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
February 18, 2022
I've finished Flower of Iowa a couple of months ago but since I keep returning to the book to re-read some passages, I thought it was about time to add a little review here on GR.
Back in June, it took me three sessions of frantic night reading to complete the novel. The story of Tommy and Davey filled me in turns with joy, hope, rage and, ultimately, a flood of tears. I've read my share of novels set during the First World War (e.g. Pat Barker, Susan Hill etc.) but I've found Lance Ringel's book very well researched and compelling. Tommy and Davey's incessant wandering along the Picardy front conveys very well the sense of disorientation that the soldiers must have felt while being constantly moved to different positions to face new battles and new horrors.
The overwhelming sense of danger and death are channelled very effectively in the book through the descriptions of the battle scenes and the quieter moments during which the main characters get to know each other and eventually fall in love provide only a short respite to the relentless pace of the historical events in the background of their personal stories.
The two characters are incredibly well-written - the impulsive, honest Tommy may appear to be wide-eyed and almost naive at the beginning - he admits to considering the war his 'big adventure' - but his personality grows steadily throughout the book and his change is portrayed very convincingly by the author. The shy but strong and reliable Davey is thus the perfect balance to Tommy's enthusiasm. He is already scarred by and even his falling in love with Tommy is initially complicated by . They both are believable personalities, for whom it'll be impossible not to feel the utmost, deepest affection.
The ending of the novel is tough to swallow and one will inevitably think about the incredible tragedy of all the young lives - and young loves - senselessly lost in the trenches.
To quote from Stephen Fry's Twitter account, this WW1 novel is 'not soppy or silly [but] truthful and touching'. Highly recommended!
Back in June, it took me three sessions of frantic night reading to complete the novel. The story of Tommy and Davey filled me in turns with joy, hope, rage and, ultimately, a flood of tears. I've read my share of novels set during the First World War (e.g. Pat Barker, Susan Hill etc.) but I've found Lance Ringel's book very well researched and compelling. Tommy and Davey's incessant wandering along the Picardy front conveys very well the sense of disorientation that the soldiers must have felt while being constantly moved to different positions to face new battles and new horrors.
The overwhelming sense of danger and death are channelled very effectively in the book through the descriptions of the battle scenes and the quieter moments during which the main characters get to know each other and eventually fall in love provide only a short respite to the relentless pace of the historical events in the background of their personal stories.
The two characters are incredibly well-written - the impulsive, honest Tommy may appear to be wide-eyed and almost naive at the beginning - he admits to considering the war his 'big adventure' - but his personality grows steadily throughout the book and his change is portrayed very convincingly by the author. The shy but strong and reliable Davey is thus the perfect balance to Tommy's enthusiasm. He is already scarred by and even his falling in love with Tommy is initially complicated by . They both are believable personalities, for whom it'll be impossible not to feel the utmost, deepest affection.
The ending of the novel is tough to swallow and one will inevitably think about the incredible tragedy of all the young lives - and young loves - senselessly lost in the trenches.
To quote from Stephen Fry's Twitter account, this WW1 novel is 'not soppy or silly [but] truthful and touching'. Highly recommended!
July 13, 2020
I’ve read many military history gay m/m romance novels, most set during World War II, but I have never read anything that affected me the way Lance Ringel’s ‘Flower of Iowa’ has.
It took me the better part of a day to read the final chapters because I could not stop crying long enough to be able to read the words on the page.
Before writing a formal review, let me tell you how to get a copy of this amazing book. For some unexplainable reason this highly acclaimed novel is only available in hardback on Amazon.
I was able to find an eBook version in multiple formats on Smashwords. Over time, 'Flower of Iowa' has been at the top of the Smashwords charts for both Gay Fiction and Historical Fiction. I have no idea how long it will be available on Smashwords, so if you have any interest in this genre, please get a copy today:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view...
If you’re interested in knowing more about this extraordinary novel, visit the website Ringel created for his journey with ‘Flower of Iowa’:
https://www.flowerofiowa.com/
Ringel has created a plethora of wonderful characters, beginning with the two principals, Tommy Flowers, an American soldier from Iowa and David Pearson, a British soldier from the village of Dunster in Somerset.
The men of World War I were an extraordinary lot.
As were the women, many of whom are critical to Ringel’s novel including Tommy’s fiancée at home in Iowa; David’s nurse in London; and a beautiful barmaid in France.
From the time of their first meeting they are helped by several extraordinary individuals, two of whom would not have approved of their relationship if they had actually been aware of the feelings Tommy and David had for each other.
The one person who did understand was a Canadian nurse, Sister Jean Anderson, who took care of David in a London hospital after an injury he sustained early in the war. The other two individuals who truly learned to care for both Tommy and David were Sgt.(Lieutenant) Jamie Colbeck, a member of the Australian army, and the American Captain Billy Sand, who chose Tommy to serve as his adjutant.
Set in multiple locations, primarily France (Picardy) and England (Dunster), the novel speaks to the lives of soldiers from multiple armies (including the German army), and the story's characters speak multiple forms of highly accented English. It helped - but certainly isn’t necessary - to have some degree of familiarity with French.
The mid-section of the novel takes place when David and Tommy visit David’s family in England. It was a bittersweet experience for both because Tommy had already lost two of his brothers to the war.
I won’t even attempt to provide a spoiler alert, but will say that the epilogue set in Amsterdam 75 years after the end of the main story, provided both a surprising and ultimately satisfying conclusion for the love that Tommy and David experienced at a time when society viewed love between two men very differently than we do today.
'Flower of Iowa' earned my highest praise and an unequivocal recommendation
It took me the better part of a day to read the final chapters because I could not stop crying long enough to be able to read the words on the page.
Before writing a formal review, let me tell you how to get a copy of this amazing book. For some unexplainable reason this highly acclaimed novel is only available in hardback on Amazon.
I was able to find an eBook version in multiple formats on Smashwords. Over time, 'Flower of Iowa' has been at the top of the Smashwords charts for both Gay Fiction and Historical Fiction. I have no idea how long it will be available on Smashwords, so if you have any interest in this genre, please get a copy today:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view...
If you’re interested in knowing more about this extraordinary novel, visit the website Ringel created for his journey with ‘Flower of Iowa’:
https://www.flowerofiowa.com/
Ringel has created a plethora of wonderful characters, beginning with the two principals, Tommy Flowers, an American soldier from Iowa and David Pearson, a British soldier from the village of Dunster in Somerset.
The men of World War I were an extraordinary lot.
As were the women, many of whom are critical to Ringel’s novel including Tommy’s fiancée at home in Iowa; David’s nurse in London; and a beautiful barmaid in France.
From the time of their first meeting they are helped by several extraordinary individuals, two of whom would not have approved of their relationship if they had actually been aware of the feelings Tommy and David had for each other.
The one person who did understand was a Canadian nurse, Sister Jean Anderson, who took care of David in a London hospital after an injury he sustained early in the war. The other two individuals who truly learned to care for both Tommy and David were Sgt.(Lieutenant) Jamie Colbeck, a member of the Australian army, and the American Captain Billy Sand, who chose Tommy to serve as his adjutant.
Set in multiple locations, primarily France (Picardy) and England (Dunster), the novel speaks to the lives of soldiers from multiple armies (including the German army), and the story's characters speak multiple forms of highly accented English. It helped - but certainly isn’t necessary - to have some degree of familiarity with French.
The mid-section of the novel takes place when David and Tommy visit David’s family in England. It was a bittersweet experience for both because Tommy had already lost two of his brothers to the war.
I won’t even attempt to provide a spoiler alert, but will say that the epilogue set in Amsterdam 75 years after the end of the main story, provided both a surprising and ultimately satisfying conclusion for the love that Tommy and David experienced at a time when society viewed love between two men very differently than we do today.
'Flower of Iowa' earned my highest praise and an unequivocal recommendation
June 22, 2014
Flower of Iowa is a sweeping epic that not only explores the American entrance to WWI, but is a daringly romantic tale of heroes, loss and friendship that grabs the reader in a deep place. The main characters, Tommy and Davey, came to life and made me pull for them from the start. The book is peopled with amazing characters that mostly seem believable and cause you to love or despise them. Jaime, who could have his own book, is the mentor and friend we all need, for example. The war scenes seem accurate and dangerous, but the danger does not transfer enough over to the love story between two men during a non "enlightened" time as it should. I feared them being caught but that was based on my own knowledge of the time. The novel was enjoyable overall but had some flaws. I felt the frequent usage of French became overwhelming and detracted. I know the author was going for authentic, but it could have been scaled back. I also think usage of nicknames in the narrative could have been limited more, as it felt unnecessary as the nicknames were perfectly placed in dialogue. It's also very long. That being said, I am still reeling from the ending. Although it is similar to the Absolutist in that it has a gay WWI romance, it stands alone and is distinct and quite enjoyable. You have to search for this independent book as I don't think its on main book carrier sites. Read this book if you love an epic love story, want to learn about the Great War's impact on lives, or want to be swept away to another place in time.
April 21, 2020
Flower of Iowa is a rather good M/M Romance novel and the 4 star rating is based upon its place within that genre rather than being a more general evaluation of the book.
As a Gay Romance novel, the book is uncommonly long and filled with many more characters than would normally be encountered in a romance novel.
It is set in the Allied trenches in the middle of WW I in France. Thus, it takes place in an era and within a culture that would be very unaccepting of relationships between people of the same gender and this sense of homosexuality being wrong is a motivation for the main characters to proceed with caution as their relationship develops. The book’s primary character, Tommy has never really faced his sexual orientation due in part to his age and also in part to his upbringing. He was raised in rural Iowa where exposure to homosexuality would have been scarce if occurring at all. Certainly in such a climate, it would have been condemned.
It takes nearly 40% of the novel before Tommy and his partner Davey, experience any kind of physical relationship with each other.
These things are what contribute to the reason this is such a good book. The book focuses on the relationship and its slow, steady development rather than on the sexual conduct of the lovers.
Once they have established their love for each other, the relationship continues to affirm love over sex and the two become more and more committed to each other and to their love.
In some ways, however, the strength of the book also becomes its weakness.
As a strength, it is refreshing to see the story as a love relationship rather than as a sexual one. Tommy is the same innocent, naive farm-boy he had been before the consummation of their relationship. As I read the book, I admired this, but only for a while. Then, that very thing began to be the book’s weakness.
Tommy, and most of the characters actually, is static and unchanging throughout the book. He has entered into a “forbidden” love relationship and not been tortured by conscience, remorse, regret or reprehension for what he has done, although he does have flashes of wondering if he has done the right thing.
But this static, unchanging character is really a flaw in the author’s development of both Tommy and the rest of the characters in the book.
Because the story takes place amidst a brutal war, the characters endure hardships and horrors most of us don’t even want to imagine, much less live through. They wallow in mud and filth, are crawled over by rats, ridden with lice, freezing, wet, exhausted and unchanged by any of that. Moreover, they continue to be innocent, naive and pure even when they kill, have blood spattered on the, ,see bodies torn apart, literally watch as friends are turned into mush and have even killed in close-up, brutal, hand-to hand combat.
Showing changes in a character over tie and through the character’s experiences cannot be easy for an author. In fact, I am sure it is quite challenging. But in a novel dealing with crossing a cultural taboo while surrounded with carnage and inhuman behaviors, showing changes in the characters is vital.
“War is a life sentence,” someone once wrote because you are changed by it, usually scarred by it, and will never be the same again.
I wish this otherwise good novel had dealt with that issue a lot better.
As a Gay Romance novel, the book is uncommonly long and filled with many more characters than would normally be encountered in a romance novel.
It is set in the Allied trenches in the middle of WW I in France. Thus, it takes place in an era and within a culture that would be very unaccepting of relationships between people of the same gender and this sense of homosexuality being wrong is a motivation for the main characters to proceed with caution as their relationship develops. The book’s primary character, Tommy has never really faced his sexual orientation due in part to his age and also in part to his upbringing. He was raised in rural Iowa where exposure to homosexuality would have been scarce if occurring at all. Certainly in such a climate, it would have been condemned.
It takes nearly 40% of the novel before Tommy and his partner Davey, experience any kind of physical relationship with each other.
These things are what contribute to the reason this is such a good book. The book focuses on the relationship and its slow, steady development rather than on the sexual conduct of the lovers.
Once they have established their love for each other, the relationship continues to affirm love over sex and the two become more and more committed to each other and to their love.
In some ways, however, the strength of the book also becomes its weakness.
As a strength, it is refreshing to see the story as a love relationship rather than as a sexual one. Tommy is the same innocent, naive farm-boy he had been before the consummation of their relationship. As I read the book, I admired this, but only for a while. Then, that very thing began to be the book’s weakness.
Tommy, and most of the characters actually, is static and unchanging throughout the book. He has entered into a “forbidden” love relationship and not been tortured by conscience, remorse, regret or reprehension for what he has done, although he does have flashes of wondering if he has done the right thing.
But this static, unchanging character is really a flaw in the author’s development of both Tommy and the rest of the characters in the book.
Because the story takes place amidst a brutal war, the characters endure hardships and horrors most of us don’t even want to imagine, much less live through. They wallow in mud and filth, are crawled over by rats, ridden with lice, freezing, wet, exhausted and unchanged by any of that. Moreover, they continue to be innocent, naive and pure even when they kill, have blood spattered on the, ,see bodies torn apart, literally watch as friends are turned into mush and have even killed in close-up, brutal, hand-to hand combat.
Showing changes in a character over tie and through the character’s experiences cannot be easy for an author. In fact, I am sure it is quite challenging. But in a novel dealing with crossing a cultural taboo while surrounded with carnage and inhuman behaviors, showing changes in the characters is vital.
“War is a life sentence,” someone once wrote because you are changed by it, usually scarred by it, and will never be the same again.
I wish this otherwise good novel had dealt with that issue a lot better.
August 29, 2021
A strong character driven plot with a M-M romance thread ... I found this read harrowing and brutal, the senseless violence, devastation and loss of war-time combat quite hard to take. It was a rather overlong read given the aforementioned aspects ... and the inevitable ending was shocking and upsetting. Not an easy read, and not to re-read again anytime soon - 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
September 1, 2024
3.5 stars
There's a lot to like here, and a lot that could have been improved.
Things that will no doubt annoy some readers:
Phonetic spelling of accents
Overuse of epithets
Potential female love interest. I see people marking this as M/M, and I feel that creates the wrong expectations for what this book actually is.
I don't know if the French was correct or not, but there was quite a bit of it. Yes, the author quickly supplies summaries of what's being said, but then, why bother with the French at all? I have some very remedial Spanish, and of course English (a lot of English came from French) so I was able to muddle through and only needed to rely on translation a few times. But it still interrupted the flow every time those scenes came up. There were just better ways to write those scenes.
The repetition. The number of times Tommy, the American, is thanked for coming to help fight the good fight reached eye-rolling levels pretty early on, for instance.
For the most part, though, I didn't mind most of that. The random changes in POV were more jarring to me than anything else and made me wonder why we were getting those POVS since the information in them was conveyed otherwise in the rest of the story, if not as directly. Really, the biggest issue for me was the editing or lack thereof, especially since as far as typos go, this is pretty clean. But I do feel this could have lost 50-100 pages and been better off for it.
What kept me reading was the writing itself, and the ability of the author to set the scene and portray the people in it. Even Tommy's inconsistencies can be seen as a young man just learning how the world works outside of his hometown in Iowa and how it works under fire of war. He is sometimes too naïve, and then at turns strangely astute on nuances. The chaos of war followed by the boredom of being on reserve, the confusion of the constant movements and shuffling of the lines and the men was well-written. I did feel that quite a lot of things had to be very conveniently set up to allow the love story to even happen, though, and at times it stretched believability.
The ending made up for a lot of this, however.
There's a lot to like here, and a lot that could have been improved.
Things that will no doubt annoy some readers:
Phonetic spelling of accents
Overuse of epithets
Potential female love interest. I see people marking this as M/M, and I feel that creates the wrong expectations for what this book actually is.
I don't know if the French was correct or not, but there was quite a bit of it. Yes, the author quickly supplies summaries of what's being said, but then, why bother with the French at all? I have some very remedial Spanish, and of course English (a lot of English came from French) so I was able to muddle through and only needed to rely on translation a few times. But it still interrupted the flow every time those scenes came up. There were just better ways to write those scenes.
The repetition. The number of times Tommy, the American, is thanked for coming to help fight the good fight reached eye-rolling levels pretty early on, for instance.
For the most part, though, I didn't mind most of that. The random changes in POV were more jarring to me than anything else and made me wonder why we were getting those POVS since the information in them was conveyed otherwise in the rest of the story, if not as directly. Really, the biggest issue for me was the editing or lack thereof, especially since as far as typos go, this is pretty clean. But I do feel this could have lost 50-100 pages and been better off for it.
What kept me reading was the writing itself, and the ability of the author to set the scene and portray the people in it. Even Tommy's inconsistencies can be seen as a young man just learning how the world works outside of his hometown in Iowa and how it works under fire of war. He is sometimes too naïve, and then at turns strangely astute on nuances. The chaos of war followed by the boredom of being on reserve, the confusion of the constant movements and shuffling of the lines and the men was well-written. I did feel that quite a lot of things had to be very conveniently set up to allow the love story to even happen, though, and at times it stretched believability.
The ending made up for a lot of this, however.
June 21, 2019
An epic tale of WWI. Well researched account of trench warfare. Certainly makes one think about the worldview of those nations and empires that sacrificed their young men. Jamie, David and Tommy are all great characters. The love story is quite poignant.
April 21, 2023
I'm still reeling after finishing this one. Part history, part gay romance in World War I trenches, part tragedy (of course you know it doesn't have a happy ending but the twists were shocking), Lance Ringel sketches interesting and well-rounded characters you root for till the end.
The author's extensive research and worldbuilding are apparent in that he transports you to the Western Front effortlessly. I felt as if I was a part of the lookout post with Tommy or taking yet another difficult decision with Captain Bill or dazed by shell shock with Sleziniak. Credit must also be given to Ringel for deftly handling issues like racism among the troops or the appalling misogyny of the times. While some have criticized the dialogues in French between Nicole and the others, I think their meaning was more than conveyed.
Thomas "Tommy" Flowers or the Flower of Iowa as he is popularly known, is a likable figure who undergoes some terrifying character development (death of comrades, shell shock, suicidal tendencies, numbness), and while his ignorance of homosexuality may seem laughable today, gay rights issues weren't exactly hot topic back then. His ambivalence, Glennon's nonchalance, and David Pearson's deep-rooted shame are all believable and period-appropriate.
Unexpectedly, Billy Sand and Jamie Colbeck turned out to be my favorite characters. I mean even in terrible situations like these:
“It looks like – like – an arm. Part of an arm, and a hand.”
Jamie shook his head. “Can’t pull the wool over your eyes, can we?”
Despite themselves, several of the Doughboys gasped audibly. “How’d it get here?” one of them asked.
Jamie stared momentarily at them, even as they were gawking at the rotting limb; then he reminded himself how new to all this the Americans were. Gravely, without sarcasm, he intoned, “The Boche have been fighting with the Tommies over this graound here for three years, and with the poilus before that.” The men looked blankly at him, and Jamie smacked his hand with his fist. “This same graound. Don’t you understand?” He glanced down at the arm. “This could belong to anybody, y’see.” He laughed, catching his own unintentional joke: “Any … body.” He looked back at
these newcomers. “You’ll have to get used to seeing things like this, men. Bodies, and parts of bodies. This is not like the war in your schoolbooks. I’m sorry, but that’s just the way it is.”
Or this one:
“Were you facing Turks or Germans?”
“Turks. Why?”
“They must not have been so tough, right?”
Jamie shook his head. “Lad, you really are bad at jumpin’ to conclusions. Where’d you get that idea?”
Defensive, Tommy shrugged. “I wouldn’t think Turks would be such good fighters, that’s all.”
“You’re wrong again, Flaowuhs. They’re as brave as any men I’ve fought against. And I’ve fought against a lot, as you know. It was their own country they were defendin’, after all.”
I mean, I know it was World War I, and things weren't exactly ideal. But the epilogue really drives the loss and the sheer pointlessness home. If All Quiet on the Western Front condemned war as a whole while letting us see the German perspective through the eyes of the common soldier, this novel makes it personal because of its characters, without condemning the war outright through its characters. The abrupt ends and ruined lives of every single character fighting for "King" and "honor" and "country" speak aloud for themselves. A magnificent read.
The author's extensive research and worldbuilding are apparent in that he transports you to the Western Front effortlessly. I felt as if I was a part of the lookout post with Tommy or taking yet another difficult decision with Captain Bill or dazed by shell shock with Sleziniak. Credit must also be given to Ringel for deftly handling issues like racism among the troops or the appalling misogyny of the times. While some have criticized the dialogues in French between Nicole and the others, I think their meaning was more than conveyed.
Thomas "Tommy" Flowers or the Flower of Iowa as he is popularly known, is a likable figure who undergoes some terrifying character development (death of comrades, shell shock, suicidal tendencies, numbness), and while his ignorance of homosexuality may seem laughable today, gay rights issues weren't exactly hot topic back then. His ambivalence, Glennon's nonchalance, and David Pearson's deep-rooted shame are all believable and period-appropriate.
Unexpectedly, Billy Sand and Jamie Colbeck turned out to be my favorite characters. I mean even in terrible situations like these:
“It looks like – like – an arm. Part of an arm, and a hand.”
Jamie shook his head. “Can’t pull the wool over your eyes, can we?”
Despite themselves, several of the Doughboys gasped audibly. “How’d it get here?” one of them asked.
Jamie stared momentarily at them, even as they were gawking at the rotting limb; then he reminded himself how new to all this the Americans were. Gravely, without sarcasm, he intoned, “The Boche have been fighting with the Tommies over this graound here for three years, and with the poilus before that.” The men looked blankly at him, and Jamie smacked his hand with his fist. “This same graound. Don’t you understand?” He glanced down at the arm. “This could belong to anybody, y’see.” He laughed, catching his own unintentional joke: “Any … body.” He looked back at
these newcomers. “You’ll have to get used to seeing things like this, men. Bodies, and parts of bodies. This is not like the war in your schoolbooks. I’m sorry, but that’s just the way it is.”
Or this one:
“Were you facing Turks or Germans?”
“Turks. Why?”
“They must not have been so tough, right?”
Jamie shook his head. “Lad, you really are bad at jumpin’ to conclusions. Where’d you get that idea?”
Defensive, Tommy shrugged. “I wouldn’t think Turks would be such good fighters, that’s all.”
“You’re wrong again, Flaowuhs. They’re as brave as any men I’ve fought against. And I’ve fought against a lot, as you know. It was their own country they were defendin’, after all.”
I mean, I know it was World War I, and things weren't exactly ideal. But the epilogue really drives the loss and the sheer pointlessness home. If All Quiet on the Western Front condemned war as a whole while letting us see the German perspective through the eyes of the common soldier, this novel makes it personal because of its characters, without condemning the war outright through its characters. The abrupt ends and ruined lives of every single character fighting for "King" and "honor" and "country" speak aloud for themselves. A magnificent read.
June 11, 2024
An painfully endearing gay love story. My heart aches for the two young men who fall in love with each other. I felt vibes of Melville’s Billy Budd in relation to the young American Tommy Flowers, who presents with “one of those sweet-but-goofy farm boy airs.” His “best mate,” British private David Pearson, is equally charming.
The novel depicts engaging characters as well as compelling plot details. Australian soldier Jamie Colbeck, survivor of many of WWI’s biggest battles, is perhaps the book’s most memorable character. Secrets and tangled love relationships cry out to be resolved before the story can come to a conclusion.
There are rich details regarding logistics, trench warfare, military bureaucracy, and battle scenes, but in an interesting contrast, few details regarding the sexual encounters. And in one scene the author and the characters tiptoe delicately around the issue of homosexual rape by dropping only vague hints.
The book is intensely realistic in its portrayal of random deaths, the tedium of war, the absurdity of combat. Attitudes develop from “I want to kill Germans” to “we’re just trying to keep each other alive.”
Author Ringel’s journalistic background shines through in the diligent research that was necessary to make this novel come to life.
The novel depicts engaging characters as well as compelling plot details. Australian soldier Jamie Colbeck, survivor of many of WWI’s biggest battles, is perhaps the book’s most memorable character. Secrets and tangled love relationships cry out to be resolved before the story can come to a conclusion.
There are rich details regarding logistics, trench warfare, military bureaucracy, and battle scenes, but in an interesting contrast, few details regarding the sexual encounters. And in one scene the author and the characters tiptoe delicately around the issue of homosexual rape by dropping only vague hints.
The book is intensely realistic in its portrayal of random deaths, the tedium of war, the absurdity of combat. Attitudes develop from “I want to kill Germans” to “we’re just trying to keep each other alive.”
Author Ringel’s journalistic background shines through in the diligent research that was necessary to make this novel come to life.
September 26, 2021
This is a very well written and well researched story set in World War I about two young lovers. The characters are engaging and the ending very satisfying.
February 2, 2023
Solid plot, and sad.
Interesting characters.
Terrible writing.
3.5 rounded up, because I stayed up all night to finish.
Interesting characters.
Terrible writing.
3.5 rounded up, because I stayed up all night to finish.
May 13, 2021
Wow! This book drew me in so much that I felt I was living in the middle of WWI while I was reading it--couldn't stop thinking about the MCs and the war. Great cast of characters; MUCH more than a gay romance though the Lammys have listed it in that category; more historical gay fiction. There is romance (actually a couple) that anchor the book but it is really about the realities and horrors of trench warfare in WWI. The author has clearly done a ton of research and loves this period of history. Strong cast of supporting characters as well--loved Jamie, Sister Jean and Billy Sand!
A few quibbles: yes, it could have been edited down--not sure the bits with the King and Roosevelt really added to the indictment of the war, for ex. There was a long stretch with Tommy sitting under the same tree. The epilogue felt a bit tacked on and ends on an ironic note--which I think clashed with the overall tone of the book. I guess I wanted Jack and Sandy to have some sort of even minor realization about what they were experiencing. I got annoyed by the literal translations of all the French dialogue--we could get alot of it from the context and/or the characters' reactions.
STILL--yes, it's long but it's a page turner with characters you get invested in. Its great strengths are its characters and its plot. As other critics have said, it is romantic without being sappy and the stumbling toward love seemed to fit with 18-year-olds (particularly at that time). I know I will be re-reading this book in the future (and probably end up in tears every time). I hope it gets the wider audience it deserves. And I would LOVE to see the movie.
A few quibbles: yes, it could have been edited down--not sure the bits with the King and Roosevelt really added to the indictment of the war, for ex. There was a long stretch with Tommy sitting under the same tree. The epilogue felt a bit tacked on and ends on an ironic note--which I think clashed with the overall tone of the book. I guess I wanted Jack and Sandy to have some sort of even minor realization about what they were experiencing. I got annoyed by the literal translations of all the French dialogue--we could get alot of it from the context and/or the characters' reactions.
STILL--yes, it's long but it's a page turner with characters you get invested in. Its great strengths are its characters and its plot. As other critics have said, it is romantic without being sappy and the stumbling toward love seemed to fit with 18-year-olds (particularly at that time). I know I will be re-reading this book in the future (and probably end up in tears every time). I hope it gets the wider audience it deserves. And I would LOVE to see the movie.
July 21, 2020
Based on a glowing review here on Goodreads by George, I purchased a copy of this ebook through Smashwords, and, before I even started it, recommended it to a friend who now has it on his TBR stack.
This story is so intriguing and well written that I devoured it - probably over 2 days and 16 hours of reading, I became involved with the story of the two principal protagonists and the strong supporting cast. Excellent detail, vivid prose, wonderful plotting.
As George wrote in his great, much longer review, I offer my no-hold-barred strong recommendation for an awesome read.
This story is so intriguing and well written that I devoured it - probably over 2 days and 16 hours of reading, I became involved with the story of the two principal protagonists and the strong supporting cast. Excellent detail, vivid prose, wonderful plotting.
As George wrote in his great, much longer review, I offer my no-hold-barred strong recommendation for an awesome read.
March 26, 2022
3 and a 1/2 (rounded down)
Moving romance adventure in the trenches of The Great War. Mostly gritty and realistic but too many of the plot twists felt convenient for the purposes of the story and not the way things would really have played out in that time and place.
Nevertheless, some very memorable characters and vivid description. A good editor could have tightened it up.
Moving romance adventure in the trenches of The Great War. Mostly gritty and realistic but too many of the plot twists felt convenient for the purposes of the story and not the way things would really have played out in that time and place.
Nevertheless, some very memorable characters and vivid description. A good editor could have tightened it up.
November 29, 2017
Excellent read, full of historical details I wasn't aware of and very touching and heartfelt.
May 15, 2025
I did not expect to like this book as much as I do. I thought an almost 600 page book about WWI was not going to be my cup of tea, but once I started, I could not stop. The two main characters are so easy to fall in love with, and watching them fall in love with each other against the backdrop of war makes for such a beautiful, bittersweet read.
Upon completing the book, I immediately went back through and marked (and re-read) all of the pages and passages that impacted me the most, and there were many.
Initially, I struggled with the phonetic accents, but I adapted pretty quickly and found that I actually ended up liking the way they highlighted the international cast of characters, and added to the overall charm of the book.
My first remaining gripe is that I found that one of Tommy's significant actions (regarding Nicole) felt pretty out-of-character. In the same vein, I found the character of Jamie Colbeck felt a bit all over the place to me, but that might just be a personal issue. However, by the end, Jamie had endeared himself to me, so I guess it can't have been that bad.
Secondly, I found it a bit tiresome the way the author kept referring to the characters via epithets, for example, calling Tommy "Flower of Iowa", "the Yank", "the American", "the Doughboy", just started to feel a bit heavy handed and awkward at a certain point.
Those two things aside, this is one of the best books I've ever read, and I am sure I will be reading it again. I felt wholly transported to another time and place, and in addition to being in awe of the story, I also feel like I have a much better understanding of WWI and the impacts it had. There is a very real and striking sense of chaos and desperation that comes across.
The chemistry between the main characters just jumps from the pages, and the tragic innocence and sincerity in their blossoming love hit me right in the heart, in all the right ways. One of my favorite things about this book is the way the two main characters laugh together. The little moments of levity and humor sprinkled throughout the book give it a deeply human quality, and I found myself giggling and grinning along with Tommy and David, and later worrying and weeping for and with them.
Of course, the end
I feel lucky to have come across this beautiful book.
Upon completing the book, I immediately went back through and marked (and re-read) all of the pages and passages that impacted me the most, and there were many.
Initially, I struggled with the phonetic accents, but I adapted pretty quickly and found that I actually ended up liking the way they highlighted the international cast of characters, and added to the overall charm of the book.
My first remaining gripe is that I found that one of Tommy's significant actions (regarding Nicole) felt pretty out-of-character. In the same vein, I found the character of Jamie Colbeck felt a bit all over the place to me, but that might just be a personal issue. However, by the end, Jamie had endeared himself to me, so I guess it can't have been that bad.
Secondly, I found it a bit tiresome the way the author kept referring to the characters via epithets, for example, calling Tommy "Flower of Iowa", "the Yank", "the American", "the Doughboy", just started to feel a bit heavy handed and awkward at a certain point.
Those two things aside, this is one of the best books I've ever read, and I am sure I will be reading it again. I felt wholly transported to another time and place, and in addition to being in awe of the story, I also feel like I have a much better understanding of WWI and the impacts it had. There is a very real and striking sense of chaos and desperation that comes across.
The chemistry between the main characters just jumps from the pages, and the tragic innocence and sincerity in their blossoming love hit me right in the heart, in all the right ways. One of my favorite things about this book is the way the two main characters laugh together. The little moments of levity and humor sprinkled throughout the book give it a deeply human quality, and I found myself giggling and grinning along with Tommy and David, and later worrying and weeping for and with them.
Of course, the end
I feel lucky to have come across this beautiful book.
December 21, 2020
‘Please tell David I said that I now believe in angels’ – A WW I masterwork!
New York author Lance Ringel is a journalist with a depth of knowledge of the history of war, particularly World War I, and its effects on both European and American culture and sociology. He is also an accomplished playwright: IN LOVE WITH THE ARROW COLLAR MAN premiered to acclaim in NYC Theater 80 in 2017 and has been performed widely. His other works include VASSAR VOICES, a staged reading at Jazz at Lincoln Center highlighting 150 years of Vassar College’s history, starring Meryl Streep and Lisa Kudrow. FLOWER OF IOWA is his debut novel.
Reading the author’s back-story of this novel’s creation enhances appreciation for the experience of reading what may be the most articulate and profoundly moving historical fiction about not only World War I, but also about the history of gay soldiers in the military. The book was composed after years of research and surfaced as an eBook in 2014, and that initiated the author’s traveling across the US and Europe giving readings of the book and transforming the story into a performing drama. His contribution to gay history has been widely acclaimed.
From the impressive art of the cover, the excellent maps for the regions of WW I that open the book, and the eloquent prose, every detail of this novel is imposing. Electing to embody his wartime romance between an American and a British soldier allows for a thorough examination of both the drama of WW I and that frightening period of homophobia in the early years of the 20th century. The duality works well indeed, honoring the bravery and sacrifice of WW I military heroes.
The story is set in 1918 against the turbulent backdrop of France during the final months of World War I. 18-year-old naïve, idealistic American soldier Tommy Flowers, a small-town boy from the Midwest, struggles to become a good soldier in the trenches. He draws the attention of Nicole Lacroix, a free-spirited French barmaid, but soon finds himself in a rivalry for her affections with his brash Australian lieutenant, Jamie Colbeck. At the same time, however, Tommy becomes best pals with savvy young British soldier David Pearson. The friendship soon develops an unexpected intimacy. Baffled by their feelings, but committed to exploring them further, Tommy and David do everything to spend time together, even after David is wounded and sent home to England to convalesce.
Writing of this quality quickly establishes the presence of a significant prosateur – a gifted composer of historical events blended with gender studies whose future in literature appears assured. Very highly recommended.
New York author Lance Ringel is a journalist with a depth of knowledge of the history of war, particularly World War I, and its effects on both European and American culture and sociology. He is also an accomplished playwright: IN LOVE WITH THE ARROW COLLAR MAN premiered to acclaim in NYC Theater 80 in 2017 and has been performed widely. His other works include VASSAR VOICES, a staged reading at Jazz at Lincoln Center highlighting 150 years of Vassar College’s history, starring Meryl Streep and Lisa Kudrow. FLOWER OF IOWA is his debut novel.
Reading the author’s back-story of this novel’s creation enhances appreciation for the experience of reading what may be the most articulate and profoundly moving historical fiction about not only World War I, but also about the history of gay soldiers in the military. The book was composed after years of research and surfaced as an eBook in 2014, and that initiated the author’s traveling across the US and Europe giving readings of the book and transforming the story into a performing drama. His contribution to gay history has been widely acclaimed.
From the impressive art of the cover, the excellent maps for the regions of WW I that open the book, and the eloquent prose, every detail of this novel is imposing. Electing to embody his wartime romance between an American and a British soldier allows for a thorough examination of both the drama of WW I and that frightening period of homophobia in the early years of the 20th century. The duality works well indeed, honoring the bravery and sacrifice of WW I military heroes.
The story is set in 1918 against the turbulent backdrop of France during the final months of World War I. 18-year-old naïve, idealistic American soldier Tommy Flowers, a small-town boy from the Midwest, struggles to become a good soldier in the trenches. He draws the attention of Nicole Lacroix, a free-spirited French barmaid, but soon finds himself in a rivalry for her affections with his brash Australian lieutenant, Jamie Colbeck. At the same time, however, Tommy becomes best pals with savvy young British soldier David Pearson. The friendship soon develops an unexpected intimacy. Baffled by their feelings, but committed to exploring them further, Tommy and David do everything to spend time together, even after David is wounded and sent home to England to convalesce.
Writing of this quality quickly establishes the presence of a significant prosateur – a gifted composer of historical events blended with gender studies whose future in literature appears assured. Very highly recommended.
May 25, 2021
Tommy and Davey were such wonderful characters and their love story was touching and beautiful and sweet and romantic without being sappy. The author does understand that people during the great war did not think about identity and sexuality the way we do.
Lance Ringel is also wonderful with dialogue and accents and perfectly renders the sound of Davey's accent from Dunster, Jamie Colbeck's accent from Australia as well as Tommy's midwestern speech.
Tommy Flowers (the flower of Iowa) is such a loving, kind, trusting, good-hearted person. It is wonderful to meet him on the page.
However, I do think that some of the horrific experiences that he has, such as bayonetting and killing a German who looks like his Uncle Larry, would traumatize him more than the author shows us.
His behavior with Nicole, the sassy French barmaid also seems inconsistent with the character we meet.
I would love to see select scenes from the book made into a play because I saw a phenomenal staged reading of a scene from the novel last night as part of an online reading by the NYC theatre group The Other Side of Silence. The actors perfectly embodied the characters and looked and acted just how I imagined they would.
I did find myself staying up late and getting out of social obligations to finish this book.
Lance Ringel is also wonderful with dialogue and accents and perfectly renders the sound of Davey's accent from Dunster, Jamie Colbeck's accent from Australia as well as Tommy's midwestern speech.
Tommy Flowers (the flower of Iowa) is such a loving, kind, trusting, good-hearted person. It is wonderful to meet him on the page.
However, I do think that some of the horrific experiences that he has, such as bayonetting and killing a German who looks like his Uncle Larry, would traumatize him more than the author shows us.
His behavior with Nicole, the sassy French barmaid also seems inconsistent with the character we meet.
I would love to see select scenes from the book made into a play because I saw a phenomenal staged reading of a scene from the novel last night as part of an online reading by the NYC theatre group The Other Side of Silence. The actors perfectly embodied the characters and looked and acted just how I imagined they would.
I did find myself staying up late and getting out of social obligations to finish this book.
November 25, 2025
Despite the book’s rather scary page count, the content is incredibly quick to read through! If I had to say, I probably spent 10 hours or a little more finishing the book.
I absolutely adored Tommy but I felt as if he progressed in character way too slowly. By the time the “horrors of war” hit him it was too late (I’m guessing 100 pages before the end of the book), much much later after he witnesses several deaths.
I disliked Colbeck plenty as he seemingly kept switching up his intentions, however that aspect of him will interest some people.
The ending is gut wrenching and left me irked for a good week or so.
So, Flower of Iowa is definitely a good read! Go ahead and enjoy.
I absolutely adored Tommy but I felt as if he progressed in character way too slowly. By the time the “horrors of war” hit him it was too late (I’m guessing 100 pages before the end of the book), much much later after he witnesses several deaths.
I disliked Colbeck plenty as he seemingly kept switching up his intentions, however that aspect of him will interest some people.
The ending is gut wrenching and left me irked for a good week or so.
So, Flower of Iowa is definitely a good read! Go ahead and enjoy.
January 25, 2022
3.5, rounded up for me.
I love a good historical drama and this one was particularly well written, even as ~tragic as the story is. The ending really broke my heart even though it felt inevitable. My issues with the novel stem from the dialogue - I think some clarification with the bits in French would have been helpful. And while I appreciated the epilogue it felt a bit forced. Overall, this was great and really captures many of the themes surrounding WWI era literature with a queer twist and I would love to see more of these stories (but perhaps with a bit more optimism!)
I love a good historical drama and this one was particularly well written, even as ~tragic as the story is. The ending really broke my heart even though it felt inevitable. My issues with the novel stem from the dialogue - I think some clarification with the bits in French would have been helpful. And while I appreciated the epilogue it felt a bit forced. Overall, this was great and really captures many of the themes surrounding WWI era literature with a queer twist and I would love to see more of these stories (but perhaps with a bit more optimism!)
October 18, 2021
A very moving account of life in the trenches of the First World War and the developing relationship between the two main characters an American and a British soldier. There are also other well developed characters of their superior officers with also a female love interest. It is a lengthy book that and covers visits to England by the two MC's .It is a compelling read and I would imagine very well researched. The ending is very emotional.
May 21, 2022
One of the greatest books I´ve read. I found it on accident and I´m happy I did. After reading a short test I had to buy it and couldn´t stop reading as soon as it got to me. I absolutely love this heartbraking and emotional story. The horrors of the War are as well described as the feelings of Tommy (the main character). I will probably read this book again soon.
June 12, 2024
i love it despite and because of the many things that ought to irk me about this novel - mostly the cheaseless amounts of epithets. it's never just name or pronoun, no it's nationality, nickname of army, personal nickname, first name, last name,... it does get tiresome. the way the accents are written out phonological. the naivity of the main character. one character seems mostly to be there first to provide exposition and then magical favours or dressing downs. the authorial intent is palpable throughout in a way that often took me out of the story. but damn.
everytime david calls tommy 'love'. that got me. and for all mentioned above, it is still a very good read. and the story. and those characters. but mostly david pearson, you won't be forgotten, love.
4.5 stars.
everytime david calls tommy 'love'. that got me. and for all mentioned above, it is still a very good read. and the story. and those characters. but mostly david pearson, you won't be forgotten, love.
4.5 stars.
December 27, 2023
Truly one of the best books I have read, well, ever. It took me a while to get through, simply because I did not want it to be over, and I don’t think the hole that finally finishing it has left in my heart will be filled again soon. If there was only a single book I could read again for the first time, it would have to be this one.
October 21, 2023
heartbreakingly beautiful
May 1, 2023
Extremely detailed story of two men who fall in love during WWI. Lots of immersive period detail, however, I wish the characters had been more clearly fleshed out.
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