Virginia's Ring

by Lynn Seldon

Compelling, chilling, sentimental, and emotional, Virginia’s Ring delves into the decisions we make that impact our lives forever. Set in the pretty Shenandoah Valley town of Lexington and Virginia’s capital city of Richmond, the two main characters of Virginia’s Ring share their experiences at VMI and beyond with poignancy and grace, serving as a reminder of how precious people, places, and life can be. Creatively narrated by both a male and female VMI graduate, Virginia’s Ring leaves readers with new or renewed respect for VMI.

Founded in 1839, the Virginia Military Institute is a unique military college educating young men and women to become leaders in the military and civilian worlds. VMI has a long legacy of successful graduates who have proudly served the United States in war and in peace. Men and women who wear the VMI ring share a special bond anywhere they meet in the world.

Genres: Fiction

276 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 8, 2014

About the author

A 1983 graduate of Virginia Military Institute, Lynn got his start while stationed in Germany as a young Army officer looking for some excitement and a creative outlet. During his weekend jaunts throughout Europe, he decided to start writing about his travel experiences. On a lark, he sent a few articles to Stars & Stripes, the daily newspaper for the Armed Forces. From that, a successful full-time career in travel writing and photography developed.

Lynn has spent the past 20+ years covering all aspects of travel writing and photography. He focuses on travel within the Southeast US and the Caribbean, cruise ship travel, soft adventure (including scuba diving, hiking, mountain biking, and boating), spa travel and culinary travel. Whether an exotic cruise ship port in South America or a charming little cooking school in Tennessee, Lynn covers the world and his own backyard.

Lynn’s work has appeared in more than 500 publications, including: Southern Living; Cruise Travel; Outside; Wine Enthusiast; Arthur Frommer’s Budget Travel; Scuba Diving; Dayspa; Porthole; Atlanta Journal-Constitution; Charlotte Observer; USA Today; various in-flight publications; and many AAA magazines.

Virginia's Ring is his first novel and he has channeled his college experiences and those of other male and female graduates into a compelling novel that delves into the decisions we make that impact our lives forever.

Reviews

[Lynn Seldon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm biased...I wrote it!

[Jeanne Watkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highlights the value of not just living an ordinary self-serving college experience

Lynn illustrates with well chosen words a balanced description of the VMI experience. It has always been very different, with an appeal only to those wanting and willing(?) to test their mettle against the 'system'.
He depicts as well as it can probably be done, how surviving ( and many thrive) the pressure of the three challenges, academics, military, and Spartan living conditions without privacy. VMI graduates have for the most part been purified a little by the pressure if they did not break.
The author also seemed to know the Richmond elite like I imagine an insider would. The novel which conveys a lot of information realistically, potentially could provide very helpful guidance to a matriculate who lacked friends or family who had experienced VMI. The focus on mastering academics, and productive time management was masterful. The author's description of the dyke system, rat-daddies, and the attempts by" rats with radios"to be flamers was right on. Few pass through VMI unaffected or unstressed by one or more of the aspects. Having a father who is unsure you can make the required effort, parents in the Pacific, and having a brother flying helicopters in combat added plenty of stress for me personally. I missed the rat roommates bonding experience, have two lost to honor violations. They just did not fit, and one got the ring. I enjoyed the book and plan to recommend it to applicants.

[Crystal Toller · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the story of 3 cadets at VMI who become the best of friends and one of the cadets daughters experience at VMI. A very compelling read about VMI in Lexington, Virginia. As a native Virginian, this book interested me because I had read Pat Conroy's Lords of Discipline and thought this would be as good. This book was a close second to Conroy's. Although the author did not dwell on the bad aspects of life at VMI he did detail some of the harrassment that cadets experience at that school. I really enjoyed reading this book by a new author to me. I found very few errors in this book, which always make reading a good book a better experience for the reader. Highly recommend this book.

[Jose · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good book if you want to reminisce about being in the I. I was an '89 grad and this book brought back a ton of memories. For people trying to understand the mindset of a VMI cadet/alumnus, this book can provide insight.
Still, this account gives a good idea why the brotherhood of the ring is so strong. The shared experiences at VMI cannot be replicated anywhere else. While is can seem barbaric, the adversarial system at VMI provides the crucible in which develops the character which all VMI alumni are known for.
Rah Virginal Mil!

[Wayne Harrell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed reading this book about VMI. It provided an enjoyable walk down memory lane. Although, the book does not provide graphic details about the various challenges that each cadet might face, I found that my own experiences came flooding back to provide those details. This insight into what life is like at the Institute makes this book much more meaningful and fulfilling for those of us who have shared this adventure (Class ’72).

[Cindy Norman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book, but since I graduated from a service academy around the same time as the primary character, was in the fourth class to graduate with women (like Virginia), and have a son attending VMI, it may have had a bit more meaning to me.

[Debra Faulk · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an account of the life of VMI and the course their lives take after graduation. If you are interested in VMI this book is for you.

[Drusilla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Totally enjoyed this book. Brought back many memories from Will's cadet ship at VMI.

[Art · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well-written novel concerning four Brother Rats (3 males, 1 female) at the Virginia Military Institute. The time is spread across a few decades. Although quite different in tone from Pat Conroy's "The Lords of Discipline," the book does give one an inside view of what it is like to be educated at a Southern military college. Although I became a Brother Rat a few months after the author graduated from VMI, I left the Rat Line and obtained my degree from another school. So, reading this book was a bittersweet experience for me. In some ways, I wish I had stayed, toughed it out and graduated with Virginia's Ring. Anyone interested in or affiliated with the Virginia Military Institute should read this book. Highly recommended!

[Ed · Rating 4 out of 5]

Accurate but uneventful

As a VMI alum myself I enjoyed the trip down memory lane. This novel captures the VMI experience and anyone who attended the Institute in the 80's will be able to relate. While I really enjoyed the novel I had to knock off a star because I wonder how much people unfamiliar with VMI will be able to relate. I highly recommend this novel to those familiar with VMI or anyone who wants to get a glimpse into Life at the Institute but any one els probably won't be able to relate because other than being about VMI not a whole lot happens.

[Dan Gallagher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Virginia's Ring DOES appeal to readers outside the Virginia Military Institute family. Seldon has woven a rarely calming tale--around this college and its traditions--that flows as smoothly as a covert escape from barracks with a southern belle to savor mint juleps in the moonlight! An easy and fun read for both tough guys and wiser women, this novel portrays life at the only place where "everywhere one goes, it’s uphill.Virginia's Ring

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won a copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway.
This book is really a memoir of the VMI experience. I imagine anyone who attended there (or a similar military academy) will absolutely love this book. If you didn't (as I did not), this book is still a well written informative walk through the military college experience.
I'm not so sure that the second character (the young woman) added much to the story other than to define the place women now have in the system and the sacrifice the graduates are willing to make for the country.
All in all, it is easy to read and leaves one with a feeling of respect for all those to choose this life.