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Tears from a Ghost
When young Ana ran after her father on that fateful summer evening in 1982, little did she know she would encounter a group of soldiers that would murder him in front of her, raze their house to the ground, and burn down the lovely orchards that lined the road between Dujail and Balad.
By the end of that fall, she would learn the anguish of helplessly watching her people tortured and massacred.
By the middle of that winter, she would learn the meaning of surviving a barbaric detention in Abu-Ghraib.
And by the fresh dew of spring, she would find a new country that would offer her a chance for revenge.
This is the coming-of-age story of a strong, resourceful woman and her struggle with the nuanced nature of morality.
By the end of that fall, she would learn the anguish of helplessly watching her people tortured and massacred.
By the middle of that winter, she would learn the meaning of surviving a barbaric detention in Abu-Ghraib.
And by the fresh dew of spring, she would find a new country that would offer her a chance for revenge.
This is the coming-of-age story of a strong, resourceful woman and her struggle with the nuanced nature of morality.
199 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 23, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
November 23, 2015
Some people are loners. Anahita Ali Nasser was one. Her father was murdered by Saddam Hussein and her mother took her to live in America where she grew up and joined the Marine Corps. Now known as Ana, she became a member of an elite unit that faced its victims down the barrel of a gun and killed them in cold blood. Ana was a sharpshooter. She fought for her new country in the war that toppled Saddam and, one day, her unit killed a little boy. His death preyed on her conscience but her traumas did not end there. The boy’s death caused a political uproar. A scapegoat was needed and Ana faced Court Marshal.
Kelvin Spencer’s Ana is a highly plausible character and the incidents he describes have been carefully researched. There is no shortage of action as Ana makes her way from military service to gangland violence. She is a trained killer with nowhere else to go … and the boy’s ghost is her constant companion. One perilous situation follows another and we wonder if she will survive to the next chapter. But there is far more to her story than violence. Kelvin Spencer’s Tears From A Ghost is one of those magnificent books that can be read at different levels. Spencer reminds us that people in power have some nasty traits in common. Government officers and gangland bosses treat individuals as dispensable. People like Ana exist to serve a purpose. If they become an embarrassment they are neutralised … one way or another.
This review was undertaken for ReadersFavorite (https://readersfavorite.com)
Kelvin Spencer’s Ana is a highly plausible character and the incidents he describes have been carefully researched. There is no shortage of action as Ana makes her way from military service to gangland violence. She is a trained killer with nowhere else to go … and the boy’s ghost is her constant companion. One perilous situation follows another and we wonder if she will survive to the next chapter. But there is far more to her story than violence. Kelvin Spencer’s Tears From A Ghost is one of those magnificent books that can be read at different levels. Spencer reminds us that people in power have some nasty traits in common. Government officers and gangland bosses treat individuals as dispensable. People like Ana exist to serve a purpose. If they become an embarrassment they are neutralised … one way or another.
This review was undertaken for ReadersFavorite (https://readersfavorite.com)
September 17, 2015
"Can A Sniper Have A Soul?"
In this action filled drama, Anahita Ali Nasser is a U.S. Marine Staff Sergeant, her specialty: a scout sniper. She is being charged with killing a nine-year-old boy and his mother during an ambush of insurgents. Two entire platoons are destroyed, except for one survivor...SSgt Nasser. She is now in court, her Defense Attorney is Mr. LeDroit. She was in legitimate combat at the time, following the rules. She is an Iraqi-American who speaks fluent Arabic. Ana has always performed her duty with integrity and respect, and to eliminate risk to her fellow troops. While she is in court, her attention is drawn to the ghost of the boy she had killed, who is now wandering around the courtroom. This novel is written in the first person. She shares her life before coming to the United States with her mother and her life after this courtroom hearing. The story is well written, however it has many dark overtones and is very emotional. You might say the Ghost Boy stalks Ana throughout her life, she has no way of escaping him. The story is very well written, but I found it somewhat depressing, as I'm not sure what the message this story is trying to reveal; however, it's an interesting read.
In this action filled drama, Anahita Ali Nasser is a U.S. Marine Staff Sergeant, her specialty: a scout sniper. She is being charged with killing a nine-year-old boy and his mother during an ambush of insurgents. Two entire platoons are destroyed, except for one survivor...SSgt Nasser. She is now in court, her Defense Attorney is Mr. LeDroit. She was in legitimate combat at the time, following the rules. She is an Iraqi-American who speaks fluent Arabic. Ana has always performed her duty with integrity and respect, and to eliminate risk to her fellow troops. While she is in court, her attention is drawn to the ghost of the boy she had killed, who is now wandering around the courtroom. This novel is written in the first person. She shares her life before coming to the United States with her mother and her life after this courtroom hearing. The story is well written, however it has many dark overtones and is very emotional. You might say the Ghost Boy stalks Ana throughout her life, she has no way of escaping him. The story is very well written, but I found it somewhat depressing, as I'm not sure what the message this story is trying to reveal; however, it's an interesting read.
May 26, 2016
This novel is based upon the Haditha killings (also known as the Haditha massacre or the Haditha incident) which occurred in November 2005. The author does an excellent job of providing a fictional depiction of what could have occurred.
Unfortunately, the author chooses to portray the protagonist as a female marine scout sniper. The Marine Corps did not, and does not, have females in any infantry combat assignments. In fact, female officers were first allowed to attend marine infantry training courses in 2013. As a side note, the Soviet Union is the only major western power to have females serve as snipers or fighter pilots and this was during WWII.
You may conduct a search for Lyudmila Pavlichenko to find information on the most successful female sniper. Likewise, a search for Night Witches will find information on the most successful female fighter squadron.
Furthermore, none of the courts martial regarding what happened at Haditha resulted in jail time for any of the defendants. In this novel the protagonist is sentenced to five years confinement at hard labor although she is obviously suffering from PTSD and is the only survivor of the units involved in the fictitious incident.
Unfortunately, the author chooses to portray the protagonist as a female marine scout sniper. The Marine Corps did not, and does not, have females in any infantry combat assignments. In fact, female officers were first allowed to attend marine infantry training courses in 2013. As a side note, the Soviet Union is the only major western power to have females serve as snipers or fighter pilots and this was during WWII.
You may conduct a search for Lyudmila Pavlichenko to find information on the most successful female sniper. Likewise, a search for Night Witches will find information on the most successful female fighter squadron.
Furthermore, none of the courts martial regarding what happened at Haditha resulted in jail time for any of the defendants. In this novel the protagonist is sentenced to five years confinement at hard labor although she is obviously suffering from PTSD and is the only survivor of the units involved in the fictitious incident.
February 9, 2017
A SLOW READ FOR ME...BUT!
Yes, in all honesty this, TEAR FROM A GHOST was a slow read for me because it is unlike my usual selection. However, I'm certainly glad I did. It is not a happy feel good story by all means. What it did was took me to that dark place of disconnect wondering what choices would I have made...I was surprised at what I discovered. Read Tear From A Ghost for yourself and see what you discover.
Yes, in all honesty this, TEAR FROM A GHOST was a slow read for me because it is unlike my usual selection. However, I'm certainly glad I did. It is not a happy feel good story by all means. What it did was took me to that dark place of disconnect wondering what choices would I have made...I was surprised at what I discovered. Read Tear From A Ghost for yourself and see what you discover.
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June 6, 2018Not finish
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews