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Damages Carried Down
Not yet published
Expected 9 Mar 27
Some family secrets survive every generation.
In 1984, high school English teacher Maggie Moore feels quietly undone-by her stalled career, her fragile marriage, and the sense that her life in Northern California has narrowed. When she inherits a World War I journal written by her beloved grandfather, Joseph Moore, she expects a family keepsake but finds the entries written in German. Drawn into a past she never knew existed, Maggie begins translating the fragile pages at her family's old home in Brooklyn, uncovering a story that challenges everything she believed about her family-and herself.
In 1914, German infantryman Josef Müller writes in secret to his dead brother, confessing the brutality he witnesses under the command of the sadistic Heinrich Adler. When the journal is discovered, Josef makes a desperate he deserts, steals the identity of a dead British soldier, and becomes Joseph Moore. But survival demands more than a new name, and the consequences of his deception will echo for decades.
In 1939 Brooklyn, Joseph's daughter Kate Moore grows up in the shadow of her father's silences. Her search for answers leads her to powerful brewery owner and crime boss Henry Adler-and into a dangerous relationship with Adler's son, Bill. Decades later, Bill Adler, now an aging pawn shop owner and the last heir to a fading empire, believes Maggie's journal may be his final chance at redemption-or revenge.
Spanning war-torn Europe, mid-century Brooklyn, and 1980s California, Damages Carried Down is a sweeping family saga that explores identity, guilt, and the fragile line between truth and survival. Rich in historical detail and emotional depth, Michael Keefe's novel is an unforgettable meditation on the stories families tell, the secrets they keep, and the burdens passed from one generation to the next.
In 1984, high school English teacher Maggie Moore feels quietly undone-by her stalled career, her fragile marriage, and the sense that her life in Northern California has narrowed. When she inherits a World War I journal written by her beloved grandfather, Joseph Moore, she expects a family keepsake but finds the entries written in German. Drawn into a past she never knew existed, Maggie begins translating the fragile pages at her family's old home in Brooklyn, uncovering a story that challenges everything she believed about her family-and herself.
In 1914, German infantryman Josef Müller writes in secret to his dead brother, confessing the brutality he witnesses under the command of the sadistic Heinrich Adler. When the journal is discovered, Josef makes a desperate he deserts, steals the identity of a dead British soldier, and becomes Joseph Moore. But survival demands more than a new name, and the consequences of his deception will echo for decades.
In 1939 Brooklyn, Joseph's daughter Kate Moore grows up in the shadow of her father's silences. Her search for answers leads her to powerful brewery owner and crime boss Henry Adler-and into a dangerous relationship with Adler's son, Bill. Decades later, Bill Adler, now an aging pawn shop owner and the last heir to a fading empire, believes Maggie's journal may be his final chance at redemption-or revenge.
Spanning war-torn Europe, mid-century Brooklyn, and 1980s California, Damages Carried Down is a sweeping family saga that explores identity, guilt, and the fragile line between truth and survival. Rich in historical detail and emotional depth, Michael Keefe's novel is an unforgettable meditation on the stories families tell, the secrets they keep, and the burdens passed from one generation to the next.
- GenresHistorical Fiction
326 pages, Paperback
Expected publication March 9, 2027
About the author
Michael Keefe
3 books19 followersMichael Keefe is the author of the novel All Her Loved Ones, Encoded (Running Wild Press, 2024) and the fiction collection Western Terminus: Stories and a Novella (Cornerstone Press, 2025). His short fiction has appeared in Tahoma Literary Review, Thin Air Magazine, Summerset Review, and others. He is the Events Coordinator and Publicist at Annie Bloom's Books, an independent bookstore in Portland, Oregon, where he lives with his wife, Liz Prato, and their two cats.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Historical fiction about family secrets that when unearthed beg the question of what a person will do to survive.
Maggie Moore is an English teacher in Northern California. She’s in a failing marriage and her career is stalled when she inherits a journal from her grandfather, Joseph Moore, that she thinks will be a family keepsake except when she sees entries written in German. In 1914, Josef Müller writes a secret to his brother, Walter, in his journal. He tells of the brutality under his sergeant, Heinrich Adler. When it’s discovered, Josef deserts, assumes the identity of a dead British soldier, Joseph Moore, hiding his secret to survive. In 1939, Joseph’s daughter, Kate, becomes intwined with Adler’s son, Bill, who in 1984 is an aging pawn shop owner and heir to the failing Adler empire who sees Maggie’s journal as way to redemption or revenge.
This is a well written and gripping read. Maggie’s trip to Brooklyn was particularly interesting to me. She’s found out the story behind her grandfather and his shame over his country’s inhumanity. Josef’s morphing into British Joseph was a poignant read. Bill is not a nice guy but when he learns the true nature of his father - well you have to read the book to find out.
This was a great read (thank you NetGalley and Type Eighteen Books for this ARC). The cleverness of how the story was told heightened interest - weaving story lines between Maggie, Josef and Bill. The writing was clear and precise. And while plot driven book, the characters were well defined.
This is book for lovers of well told historical fiction.
Maggie Moore is an English teacher in Northern California. She’s in a failing marriage and her career is stalled when she inherits a journal from her grandfather, Joseph Moore, that she thinks will be a family keepsake except when she sees entries written in German. In 1914, Josef Müller writes a secret to his brother, Walter, in his journal. He tells of the brutality under his sergeant, Heinrich Adler. When it’s discovered, Josef deserts, assumes the identity of a dead British soldier, Joseph Moore, hiding his secret to survive. In 1939, Joseph’s daughter, Kate, becomes intwined with Adler’s son, Bill, who in 1984 is an aging pawn shop owner and heir to the failing Adler empire who sees Maggie’s journal as way to redemption or revenge.
This is a well written and gripping read. Maggie’s trip to Brooklyn was particularly interesting to me. She’s found out the story behind her grandfather and his shame over his country’s inhumanity. Josef’s morphing into British Joseph was a poignant read. Bill is not a nice guy but when he learns the true nature of his father - well you have to read the book to find out.
This was a great read (thank you NetGalley and Type Eighteen Books for this ARC). The cleverness of how the story was told heightened interest - weaving story lines between Maggie, Josef and Bill. The writing was clear and precise. And while plot driven book, the characters were well defined.
This is book for lovers of well told historical fiction.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Throughout my reading of this excellent work I was reminded of Ian McEwan's Lessons and John Boyne's All the Broken Places. Both have a span of 70 years commencing in the aftermath of World War II. Both deal with individuals building new lives after a traumatic event and the impact on those they love.
Keefe's novel spans the same duration but commences in 1914, ending in 1984. The story is told through the voices of four people. Josef Müller tells his experience as a private in the German Imperial Army at the start of what came to be known as the “Great War” in a journal addressed to his deceased older brother.
In 1930s New York, Kate Moore witnesses an altercation between her father and a stranger during which blows are exchanged. Also present is Bill, the son of the other man. As teenagers in 1939 the pair set out to find the story behind the seemingly unprovoked attack.
In 1984, Kate's daughter Maggie comes across a journal written in German and sets about translating it. As Josef's story emerges she embarks on a journey to discover proof of the allegations it contains. She is pursued by Bill, now in his sixties and with his own devious motives for finding the truth about his father.
The four voices are presented in alternating chapters. Each voice is distinct and the four characters emerge as clearly differentiated individuals. It is this that makes the work such an extraordinary achievement. That and the tension created as snippets of the truth about the man everyone knows as Joseph Moore are gradually revealed.
The three periods, wartime 1914, the 1930s and 1984, are wonderfully evoked as are the locations in Europe, the UK and the USA. This is achieved with just the right amount of detail in each scene. Details the rendering of which also reveal each individual protagonist's changing attitudes and beliefs, a tremendous achievement.
This is a must read for anyone interested in 20th century history and culture, from silent movies to swing, from jazz to Reaganism - with a soupçon of American support for Hitler in the late 1930s thrown in.
A thriller with a complex and highly involving plot. An absolute tour de force to which I'd happily give more than five stars if I could.
I received an ARC of Damages Carried Down from the publisher via Rosie Amber's review team.
Keefe's novel spans the same duration but commences in 1914, ending in 1984. The story is told through the voices of four people. Josef Müller tells his experience as a private in the German Imperial Army at the start of what came to be known as the “Great War” in a journal addressed to his deceased older brother.
In 1930s New York, Kate Moore witnesses an altercation between her father and a stranger during which blows are exchanged. Also present is Bill, the son of the other man. As teenagers in 1939 the pair set out to find the story behind the seemingly unprovoked attack.
In 1984, Kate's daughter Maggie comes across a journal written in German and sets about translating it. As Josef's story emerges she embarks on a journey to discover proof of the allegations it contains. She is pursued by Bill, now in his sixties and with his own devious motives for finding the truth about his father.
The four voices are presented in alternating chapters. Each voice is distinct and the four characters emerge as clearly differentiated individuals. It is this that makes the work such an extraordinary achievement. That and the tension created as snippets of the truth about the man everyone knows as Joseph Moore are gradually revealed.
The three periods, wartime 1914, the 1930s and 1984, are wonderfully evoked as are the locations in Europe, the UK and the USA. This is achieved with just the right amount of detail in each scene. Details the rendering of which also reveal each individual protagonist's changing attitudes and beliefs, a tremendous achievement.
This is a must read for anyone interested in 20th century history and culture, from silent movies to swing, from jazz to Reaganism - with a soupçon of American support for Hitler in the late 1930s thrown in.
A thriller with a complex and highly involving plot. An absolute tour de force to which I'd happily give more than five stars if I could.
I received an ARC of Damages Carried Down from the publisher via Rosie Amber's review team.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
***Special thank you to #NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. #DamagesCarriedDown
This book will inevitably get 5 stars from many folks, it is quite good! It starts with the writings of Joseph Moore, a young man forced to fight for Germany. His story is told via letters to his deceased brother Walter. Through those we learn of his experiences and feelings towards what is going on around him.
Years later in 1939. Joseph Moore's daughter Kate goes on a search for the truth of her father as his life seems to be shrouded in mystery. She knows a journal he kept must hold the keys but trying to find it is a mystery as well. Between her story, Kate, we learn of Maggie, the granddaughter of Joseph also on a hunt for the truth of her grandpa. Everyone yearns to know the history of their family and he is a key element no one seems to know. There is a stalker Bill Adler who
believes capturing and destroying the journal will save his family from destruction and help him gain favor in his father's eyes.
The story is so interesting. At first the shift from Kate's story to Maggie's is confusing but the longer in the story you go, it becomes easy to discern. There is an excellent portrayal of the time periods, M. Keefe captures the culture and mood of the times in a way many others have failed to do so.
The characterization of the protagonist is so believable. It did seem long-winded (at times) or more like I was wishing it would advance a bit quicker but, as a reader the story is too captivating to put the book down! So obviously this is a phenomenal writer though I have never read anything by him before. I will now. In understanding the past, we can learn from it, how far we have or have not come. The book illustrates the desire in all of us to know our families unique stories but as Maggie is forewarned, learning some things will make it impossible to forget. Hitler's reign destroyed families, hopes and dreams and the fall out is still happening through generations.
#NetGalley
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Michael Keefe’s Damages Carried Down explores how war fundamentally fractures personal history, memory, and truth.
In 1914, the brutal realities of trench warfare, paired with fragmented record-keeping and mass unidentifiable casualties, created a vacuum where desertion could mean survival. Fleeing the sadism of his commander, Heinrich Adler, German infantryman Josef Müller exploits this chaos by assuming the name of a fallen British soldier, Joseph Moore. Living decades under a stolen name required absolute vigilance and emotional suppression. To construct a life in mid-century Brooklyn, Josef had to lock away his native language, his true lineage, and his memories, navigating existence through calculated silences that ultimately isolated him from the people he loved.
The novel illustrates that truth is often a luxury of peace, whereas survival in wartime demands deception. Josef’s initial act of identity theft is not born of malice but pure desperation—a rejection of atrocity in favour of self-preservation. However, Keefe highlights how a necessary lie transforms over time from an act of physical survival into a psychological cage. To maintain his safety, Josef must surrender his genuine self, proving that while a lie can keep the body alive, it slowly starves the soul.
Secrets rarely stay buried; they simply mutate across generations. Joseph’s silent trauma shapes his daughter Kate’s upbringing in 1939 Brooklyn, drawing her unconsciously into the web of the crime boss Henry Adler and his son Bill. Decades later in 1984, Maggie Moore’s translation of her grandfather’s German journal exposes how inherited silence manifests as personal stagnation. Maggie’s own stalled life begins to unravel only when she confronts the hidden truth of her ancestry.
Keefe delivers a poignant meditation on how the choices made in the fog of war ripple forward, proving that the heaviest burdens passed through families are often the truths we refuse to speak.
In 1914, the brutal realities of trench warfare, paired with fragmented record-keeping and mass unidentifiable casualties, created a vacuum where desertion could mean survival. Fleeing the sadism of his commander, Heinrich Adler, German infantryman Josef Müller exploits this chaos by assuming the name of a fallen British soldier, Joseph Moore. Living decades under a stolen name required absolute vigilance and emotional suppression. To construct a life in mid-century Brooklyn, Josef had to lock away his native language, his true lineage, and his memories, navigating existence through calculated silences that ultimately isolated him from the people he loved.
The novel illustrates that truth is often a luxury of peace, whereas survival in wartime demands deception. Josef’s initial act of identity theft is not born of malice but pure desperation—a rejection of atrocity in favour of self-preservation. However, Keefe highlights how a necessary lie transforms over time from an act of physical survival into a psychological cage. To maintain his safety, Josef must surrender his genuine self, proving that while a lie can keep the body alive, it slowly starves the soul.
Secrets rarely stay buried; they simply mutate across generations. Joseph’s silent trauma shapes his daughter Kate’s upbringing in 1939 Brooklyn, drawing her unconsciously into the web of the crime boss Henry Adler and his son Bill. Decades later in 1984, Maggie Moore’s translation of her grandfather’s German journal exposes how inherited silence manifests as personal stagnation. Maggie’s own stalled life begins to unravel only when she confronts the hidden truth of her ancestry.
Keefe delivers a poignant meditation on how the choices made in the fog of war ripple forward, proving that the heaviest burdens passed through families are often the truths we refuse to speak.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Damages Carried Down by Michael Keefe opens with Maggie, a burned-out high school English teacher whose marriage is failing and whose life has settled into a routine of disappointment. Everything changes when she inherits a World War II journal written in German by her late grandfather. As the journal is translated, Maggie begins uncovering long-buried family secrets that form the heart of the novel.
The story alternates between Maggie's present-day perspective and her grandfather Joseph Miller's wartime account, written as a series of journal entries addressed to his deceased brother, Walter. Through these deeply personal reflections, readers gain an intimate view of the physical and emotional toll of war while slowly piecing together the mysteries that have shaped Maggie's family for generations.
Another central character is Bill, the underachieving and deeply troubled son of a sadistic World War II veteran whose horrific actions during the war cast a long shadow over his family. Bill is an intentionally unlikeable character whose obsession first with Kate and later with Maggie drives much of the novel's conflict as he desperately seeks access to the journal and the secrets it contains—revelations that threaten not only his father's legacy but his own understanding of the past.
While the novel builds compelling suspense and explores themes of inherited trauma, family loyalty, guilt, and redemption, Bill's storyline occasionally stretches credibility. At times his actions feel overly dramatic and somewhat amateurish, diminishing the realism established elsewhere in the book.
Despite these shortcomings, Damages Carried Down is an engaging family mystery that thoughtfully examines how the consequences of war echo through generations. The gradual revelation of long-hidden truths, combined with the emotional weight of reconciliation and newfound family connections, makes for an entertaining and ultimately satisfying read, even if some plot developments require a suspension of disbelief.
The story alternates between Maggie's present-day perspective and her grandfather Joseph Miller's wartime account, written as a series of journal entries addressed to his deceased brother, Walter. Through these deeply personal reflections, readers gain an intimate view of the physical and emotional toll of war while slowly piecing together the mysteries that have shaped Maggie's family for generations.
Another central character is Bill, the underachieving and deeply troubled son of a sadistic World War II veteran whose horrific actions during the war cast a long shadow over his family. Bill is an intentionally unlikeable character whose obsession first with Kate and later with Maggie drives much of the novel's conflict as he desperately seeks access to the journal and the secrets it contains—revelations that threaten not only his father's legacy but his own understanding of the past.
While the novel builds compelling suspense and explores themes of inherited trauma, family loyalty, guilt, and redemption, Bill's storyline occasionally stretches credibility. At times his actions feel overly dramatic and somewhat amateurish, diminishing the realism established elsewhere in the book.
Despite these shortcomings, Damages Carried Down is an engaging family mystery that thoughtfully examines how the consequences of war echo through generations. The gradual revelation of long-hidden truths, combined with the emotional weight of reconciliation and newfound family connections, makes for an entertaining and ultimately satisfying read, even if some plot developments require a suspension of disbelief.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Forced to commit the atrocities of World War I, German soldier Josef Müller trades his past life to escape a morally unbearable situation and save himself, adopting the identity of downed English soldier Joseph Moore. Sixty some years later, Moore's granddaughter begins translating Josef/Joseph's wartime journal and pieces together the mysterious hidden past of her grandfather and the events that led to his new identity. But she's not the only one interested in the past; Josef's German sergeant also recreated his identity after the war and his bumbling son wants to destroy the journal to keep the ugly truth from coming to light and gain respect from his father.
"Damages Carried Down" is a fast-paced historical novel/thriller told from four points of view in three time periods. The graphic descriptions of the Great War and Josef/Joseph's reflective considerations of his moral dilemma drive the plot lines of the two later periods. Michael Keefe has written an interesting novel that's quick to read and recommended if you enjoy war-time historical fiction. While Keefe's writing is straightforward, the characters and events lean toward cliché and at times overly convenient to make the story align. I also found some of the secondary characters and storylines unnecessary (particularly Maggie's failing marriage), leaving less space to explore some of the primary characters' relationships more deeply.
Thank you to NetGalley and Type Eighteen Books for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
#damagescarrieddown #netgalley
"Damages Carried Down" is a fast-paced historical novel/thriller told from four points of view in three time periods. The graphic descriptions of the Great War and Josef/Joseph's reflective considerations of his moral dilemma drive the plot lines of the two later periods. Michael Keefe has written an interesting novel that's quick to read and recommended if you enjoy war-time historical fiction. While Keefe's writing is straightforward, the characters and events lean toward cliché and at times overly convenient to make the story align. I also found some of the secondary characters and storylines unnecessary (particularly Maggie's failing marriage), leaving less space to explore some of the primary characters' relationships more deeply.
Thank you to NetGalley and Type Eighteen Books for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
#damagescarrieddown #netgalley
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Damages Carried Down was such a pleasant surprise! I really enjoyed this clever mix of historical fiction, mystery, and thriller, and once all the pieces started falling into place, I was completely hooked.
The story unfolds across three timelines and multiple perspectives, following generations of the Adler and Moore families as long-buried secrets surrounding Joseph’s past gradually come to light. I’ll admit that it took me a little while to keep track of all the family connections and timelines at first, but that actually made watching everything come together even more satisfying. Each timeline adds another piece to the puzzle, and I loved the way Michael Keefe eventually connects them all.
The multiple POVs worked really well for me, especially the journal entries. They added another layer to the mystery while giving us a much deeper understanding of Joseph’s experiences and the choices that shaped his life and, ultimately, the generations that followed. The exploration of generational trauma, family secrets, identity, and the lasting impact of choices made during wartime gave the story plenty of emotional weight.
I was constantly wanting to know what would happen next, and even when I thought I understood where the story was going, there were still plenty of twists and revelations to keep me invested. I also really enjoyed how vividly the different time periods were portrayed, from the horrors of World War I to Brooklyn in the later decades.
By the time all three timelines converged, I was fully invested in these families and their complicated history. The ending was satisfying and brought the various threads together in a way that worked for me.
Overall, Damages Carried Down is a gripping, atmospheric historical mystery with plenty of secrets, twists, and family drama. Definitely one I’d recommend to readers who enjoy historical fiction with a strong mystery at its heart and stories where the past refuses to stay buried.
The story unfolds across three timelines and multiple perspectives, following generations of the Adler and Moore families as long-buried secrets surrounding Joseph’s past gradually come to light. I’ll admit that it took me a little while to keep track of all the family connections and timelines at first, but that actually made watching everything come together even more satisfying. Each timeline adds another piece to the puzzle, and I loved the way Michael Keefe eventually connects them all.
The multiple POVs worked really well for me, especially the journal entries. They added another layer to the mystery while giving us a much deeper understanding of Joseph’s experiences and the choices that shaped his life and, ultimately, the generations that followed. The exploration of generational trauma, family secrets, identity, and the lasting impact of choices made during wartime gave the story plenty of emotional weight.
I was constantly wanting to know what would happen next, and even when I thought I understood where the story was going, there were still plenty of twists and revelations to keep me invested. I also really enjoyed how vividly the different time periods were portrayed, from the horrors of World War I to Brooklyn in the later decades.
By the time all three timelines converged, I was fully invested in these families and their complicated history. The ending was satisfying and brought the various threads together in a way that worked for me.
Overall, Damages Carried Down is a gripping, atmospheric historical mystery with plenty of secrets, twists, and family drama. Definitely one I’d recommend to readers who enjoy historical fiction with a strong mystery at its heart and stories where the past refuses to stay buried.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Damages Carried Down pulls you in from the very first chapter and keeps you hooked until the end.
Following four POVs across three generations and multiple time periods, Damages Carried Down begins with Joseph, a German soldier in World War I. He makes a pretty significant choice whilst on the front that alters the course of his life. The novel unpacks this decision and also the ripple effects throughout the two generations that follow.
I found that each character served a distinct purpose and was compelling in their own right. None of the storylines overshadowed the others, and I felt equally invested in each perspective.
I really enjoyed Keefe's writing style. It was accessible, immersive, and consistently gripping. I finished this novel in just a few sittings, and it's definitely one that's easy to fly through. Another standout was the way Keefe captured each historical period. It was effortless to move from Joseph in World War I to Kate as a teenager in the 1930s and then to Bill and Maggie in the 1980s. Each era was vivid, making it easy to settle into the different timeframes without ever feeling lost.
Keefe also layers the novel's genres and themes exceptionally well. At its core there's a compelling mystery grounded in historical fiction and underscored by components of thriller. Beyond that, the novel offers a thoughtful exploration of family: how our choices and perceived failures echo through generations, the desire to belong within our families, and what family ultimately comes to represent to different people.
Whilst the ending tied everything together neatly, it wasn't quite as satisfying as I'd hoped. The build-up throughout the novel was so strong that the conclusion, although emotionally charged, felt a little rushed for me.
Overall, I really enjoyed Damages Carried Down and would absolutely recommend it, particularly to readers who enjoy historical fiction and/or a mystery!
Following four POVs across three generations and multiple time periods, Damages Carried Down begins with Joseph, a German soldier in World War I. He makes a pretty significant choice whilst on the front that alters the course of his life. The novel unpacks this decision and also the ripple effects throughout the two generations that follow.
I found that each character served a distinct purpose and was compelling in their own right. None of the storylines overshadowed the others, and I felt equally invested in each perspective.
I really enjoyed Keefe's writing style. It was accessible, immersive, and consistently gripping. I finished this novel in just a few sittings, and it's definitely one that's easy to fly through. Another standout was the way Keefe captured each historical period. It was effortless to move from Joseph in World War I to Kate as a teenager in the 1930s and then to Bill and Maggie in the 1980s. Each era was vivid, making it easy to settle into the different timeframes without ever feeling lost.
Keefe also layers the novel's genres and themes exceptionally well. At its core there's a compelling mystery grounded in historical fiction and underscored by components of thriller. Beyond that, the novel offers a thoughtful exploration of family: how our choices and perceived failures echo through generations, the desire to belong within our families, and what family ultimately comes to represent to different people.
Whilst the ending tied everything together neatly, it wasn't quite as satisfying as I'd hoped. The build-up throughout the novel was so strong that the conclusion, although emotionally charged, felt a little rushed for me.
Overall, I really enjoyed Damages Carried Down and would absolutely recommend it, particularly to readers who enjoy historical fiction and/or a mystery!
August 3, 2026
4⭐️
I truly enjoyed reading this book about intergenerational trauma, family secrets, and the lies we tell ourselves and others.
The story revolves around four main characters across three separate timelines. First is Maggie, a woman in her mid-30s and a high school teacher who finds herself stuck in a stagnant place in life until she begins translating her grandfather’s WWI war journal. Then there’s Bill, a man in his mid-60s who owns a pawn shop while also dabbling in his family’s crime business. Kate, Maggie’s mother, is growing up in late-1930s New York City with only her absentee father. Finally, there’s Joseph, a WWI soldier who makes a choice that changes not only his own life, but the lives of his family for generations to come.
I really enjoyed how fluidly the chapters and characters merged into one another’s narratives. Each timeline added another piece to the puzzle, and I was constantly wondering how all the different threads would eventually come together.
The ending completely shocked me! Around 81%, I was wondering how the story could possibly resolve itself with so little of the book left. And then I found out why! 😂
This would be perfect for fans of historical fiction, shorter chapters, and a quick pace!
Thank you NetGalley, BooksGoSocial, and Type Eighteen Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!
I truly enjoyed reading this book about intergenerational trauma, family secrets, and the lies we tell ourselves and others.
The story revolves around four main characters across three separate timelines. First is Maggie, a woman in her mid-30s and a high school teacher who finds herself stuck in a stagnant place in life until she begins translating her grandfather’s WWI war journal. Then there’s Bill, a man in his mid-60s who owns a pawn shop while also dabbling in his family’s crime business. Kate, Maggie’s mother, is growing up in late-1930s New York City with only her absentee father. Finally, there’s Joseph, a WWI soldier who makes a choice that changes not only his own life, but the lives of his family for generations to come.
I really enjoyed how fluidly the chapters and characters merged into one another’s narratives. Each timeline added another piece to the puzzle, and I was constantly wondering how all the different threads would eventually come together.
The ending completely shocked me! Around 81%, I was wondering how the story could possibly resolve itself with so little of the book left. And then I found out why! 😂
This would be perfect for fans of historical fiction, shorter chapters, and a quick pace!
Thank you NetGalley, BooksGoSocial, and Type Eighteen Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
4.5/5
Thank you NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for this advanced copy of the book. It's the first of its genre that I've read in a long time... mystery, thriller, and historical fiction rolled into one. (Does it qualify though as a thriller? For me, it kinda does!)
I loved this book although at first I had a hard time with nailing the family tree of the Adlers and the Moores due to the book's propensity to shift between their POVs and Joseph Moore's journal. I had to map it out on a piece of paper whenever I uncovered new information about the families and when I reached 30%, everything was smooth already.
It would be great for the book to have a map of the basic, established family tree at the start though, ngl.
The writing was smooth and written very well. I was constantly looking forward to what would happen next even if the POVs shift as each chapter passes. The way that the author linearly aligned 3 separate timelines in a way that grips you and makes you want to read more is topnotch.
Thank you NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for this advanced copy of the book. It's the first of its genre that I've read in a long time... mystery, thriller, and historical fiction rolled into one. (Does it qualify though as a thriller? For me, it kinda does!)
I loved this book although at first I had a hard time with nailing the family tree of the Adlers and the Moores due to the book's propensity to shift between their POVs and Joseph Moore's journal. I had to map it out on a piece of paper whenever I uncovered new information about the families and when I reached 30%, everything was smooth already.
It would be great for the book to have a map of the basic, established family tree at the start though, ngl.
The writing was smooth and written very well. I was constantly looking forward to what would happen next even if the POVs shift as each chapter passes. The way that the author linearly aligned 3 separate timelines in a way that grips you and makes you want to read more is topnotch.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Michael Keefe’s largely compelling novel about the reverberating effects of war through successive generations, “Damages Carried Down,” starts with a literal bang with a distraught woman calling emergency services after a shooting. Just a brief prelude it is, though, to the novel's actual beginning, which has a disaffected teacher, Maggie Moore, trying to engage her bored students by sneaking into the curriculum the first novel written by her novelist grandfather, Joseph Moore, who fought in the Great War.
Unbeknownst to her, though, and this might constitute a spoiler though I wouldn’t think so with how it’s figured largely in advance descriptions of the novel, he fought on the German side but switched identity with a fallen British soldier, something Maggie will discover through the time-worn and somewhat awkward literary device of a found journal, which tells how Joseph became disenchanted with the Reich cause after witnessing atrocities perpetrated by his side and in particular by a loathsome Sergeant Adler, whose offenses included raping and killing a woman after first killing her husband and then, after the rape, the daughter, whom he has forced to watch the rape.
Disturbed enough is Joseph by what he has seen that he begins collecting evidence of Adler’s vile acts with a thought of somehow bringing him to accounts but in the end he puts Adler and the whole war experience behind him as he makes his way via a circuitous route to New York. But in a particular instance of literary contrivance Adler turns up as well in the same rough area (what are the odds?), where one evening, after Joseph has dined out with his daughter, Kate, Adler also turns up at the restaurant and Kate witnesses a violent altercation between the two men which so disturbs her that for all Joseph’s dismissal of it she teams up with Adler’s son, who is also improbably in the area, to try to uncover what is going on with the two men.
More than a little improbability in the way of thrillers that part of the book makes for, with the two of them even having a gun held on them at one point, in a novel which I found most interesting for the moral relativism it explores, both with Joseph’s war experiences as well as afterward when he intervenes when two women attempt to shame a man who hasn’t fought by presenting him with a white feather.
All in all, a largely absorbing read, Keefe’s novel, even if I’d have liked to have seen less standard thriller fare and more deliberation on war’s devastating effects.
Unbeknownst to her, though, and this might constitute a spoiler though I wouldn’t think so with how it’s figured largely in advance descriptions of the novel, he fought on the German side but switched identity with a fallen British soldier, something Maggie will discover through the time-worn and somewhat awkward literary device of a found journal, which tells how Joseph became disenchanted with the Reich cause after witnessing atrocities perpetrated by his side and in particular by a loathsome Sergeant Adler, whose offenses included raping and killing a woman after first killing her husband and then, after the rape, the daughter, whom he has forced to watch the rape.
Disturbed enough is Joseph by what he has seen that he begins collecting evidence of Adler’s vile acts with a thought of somehow bringing him to accounts but in the end he puts Adler and the whole war experience behind him as he makes his way via a circuitous route to New York. But in a particular instance of literary contrivance Adler turns up as well in the same rough area (what are the odds?), where one evening, after Joseph has dined out with his daughter, Kate, Adler also turns up at the restaurant and Kate witnesses a violent altercation between the two men which so disturbs her that for all Joseph’s dismissal of it she teams up with Adler’s son, who is also improbably in the area, to try to uncover what is going on with the two men.
More than a little improbability in the way of thrillers that part of the book makes for, with the two of them even having a gun held on them at one point, in a novel which I found most interesting for the moral relativism it explores, both with Joseph’s war experiences as well as afterward when he intervenes when two women attempt to shame a man who hasn’t fought by presenting him with a white feather.
All in all, a largely absorbing read, Keefe’s novel, even if I’d have liked to have seen less standard thriller fare and more deliberation on war’s devastating effects.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I really wanted Damages Carried Down to hit me harder than it did. The idea of damage being passed down through families—and how much of ourselves is shaped by things that happened long before we had any say in them—is exactly the kind of premise that usually works for me.
There were moments where I thought the book was finally going to click, but it never quite got there. My biggest issue was that I felt strangely removed from the characters. Considering everything they were dealing with, I expected to feel devastated, angry, or at least deeply invested, and instead I mostly felt like I was observing everything from a distance.
I also found myself wanting the book to dig deeper rather than simply move on from some of its more interesting or emotional moments. There were pieces of a much more affecting story here, but I kept wanting more from them.
Not a bad book by any means, and I liked the ideas behind it. Unfortunately, the emotional connection just wasn’t there for me, and with a story like this, I really needed it to be.
Review of advance copy
Maggie is a thirtysomething high school Englisht teacher in California, in a rut with her teaching and with her marriage.
Bill is a sixtysomething pawn shop owner in Brooklyn, in a rut his entire life.
Joseph Moore was a English/American novelist whose diary is discovered by Maggie, his granddaughter.
Kate, Maggie's mother, is a young woman at the start of World War II, and together with Bill, in the late 1930s, tries to find out the story behind their fathers' seeming animosity towards each other.
This book is about family secrets and histories. It is well-written and engaging. The novel switches between time periods -- World War I, as seen through the journal of Joseph Moore, World War II, as seen through the eyes of Joseph's daughter Kate and her beau, Bill, and finally, the 1980s, as seen through the eyes of Maggie and an older Bill. I enjoyed the book's deep dive into each of the periods as well as the mysteries surrounding the families' connections to each other.
Bill is a sixtysomething pawn shop owner in Brooklyn, in a rut his entire life.
Joseph Moore was a English/American novelist whose diary is discovered by Maggie, his granddaughter.
Kate, Maggie's mother, is a young woman at the start of World War II, and together with Bill, in the late 1930s, tries to find out the story behind their fathers' seeming animosity towards each other.
This book is about family secrets and histories. It is well-written and engaging. The novel switches between time periods -- World War I, as seen through the journal of Joseph Moore, World War II, as seen through the eyes of Joseph's daughter Kate and her beau, Bill, and finally, the 1980s, as seen through the eyes of Maggie and an older Bill. I enjoyed the book's deep dive into each of the periods as well as the mysteries surrounding the families' connections to each other.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Well written historical fiction,
The plot was clear and developed with wonderful story telling.
From Maggie the current day teacher to Joseph Miller the war veteran, and Bill the underachiever you will find each life interesting to follow.
I’m not a huge fan of historical fiction but I found myself immersed in this novel.,
#DamagesCarriedDown #NetGalley.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you NetGalley and Published for this eARC
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I read this novel in one night because I could not put it down. This was great historical fiction with an important story and message.
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