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Good Hope Road
Good Hope Road
368 pages, Paperback
First published July 30, 2015
4 people are currently reading
236 people want to read
About the author
Sarita Mandanna
10 books47 followersSarita Mandanna belongs to the stunning landscapes of Coorg. Her family history extends for centuries through these hills, famous for their coffee plantations and often described as the 'Scotland of India'. Tiger Hills is her first novel.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
February 2, 2016
This is a sumptuous, beautifully written novel, so good that I will immediately seek out the author’s only other published work, Tiger Hills.
The novel focuses on two time periods and two sets of characters: the First World War and two American volunteers in the French Foreign Legion, southern black Obadaiah Nelson and white Yankee James Stonebridge; then during the American Depression years of the 1930s and a little-known (suppressed?) episode of American history, the Bonus March of destitute ex-soldiers and its brutal treatment by the Hoover presidency, the Senate and the US Army.
The novel is exquisitely crafted with a sweeping, even epic, narrative and a number of gripping and moving plot-lines. I did think occasionally that there some artifice in the attempt to include every aspect of the veterans’ experiences at the hands of the US authorities, but ultimately am happy that the author did so.
Characterisation is superb: the intelligent, formal Major Stonebridge, a man transformed by his experiences in the war; his uneasy relationship with his son, Jim; the effervescent Madeleine who brings light to the Stonebridge gloom – and the war narrative of Obadaiah, which makes perfect sense in the final chapters of the book.
This is a terrific read and is highly recommended.
The novel focuses on two time periods and two sets of characters: the First World War and two American volunteers in the French Foreign Legion, southern black Obadaiah Nelson and white Yankee James Stonebridge; then during the American Depression years of the 1930s and a little-known (suppressed?) episode of American history, the Bonus March of destitute ex-soldiers and its brutal treatment by the Hoover presidency, the Senate and the US Army.
The novel is exquisitely crafted with a sweeping, even epic, narrative and a number of gripping and moving plot-lines. I did think occasionally that there some artifice in the attempt to include every aspect of the veterans’ experiences at the hands of the US authorities, but ultimately am happy that the author did so.
Characterisation is superb: the intelligent, formal Major Stonebridge, a man transformed by his experiences in the war; his uneasy relationship with his son, Jim; the effervescent Madeleine who brings light to the Stonebridge gloom – and the war narrative of Obadaiah, which makes perfect sense in the final chapters of the book.
This is a terrific read and is highly recommended.
October 4, 2022
A very moving book of revelations. There were so many issues I didn’t know about, and sadly, which are still happening today.
April 10, 2016
Fourteen years after the end of World war I ,with the recession rolling on and on,an American Veteran,one of those who fought in Europe,becomes part of a new battle to win back delayed wages for all those who gave up something including their lives lives, in the great war.
The novel opens in the trenches ,the narrative in the voice of Obadiah Nelson, a colored American drifter who is not central to the story but lends it energy with his earthy tone and lust for life.The part of the story that is set in the present belongs to Major James Stonebridge,a soldier from a well-off New England family. He brings back from this war dark memories that stand between him and a shallow society he can no longer tolerate;the memories cut him off even from his own son,Jim.
The appearance of the vibrant Madeleine Scott,an attractive 'flatlander'.injects both romance and a sense of purpose into the Stonebridge family- while Jim is captivated by this woman,the old Major is roused into taking his campaign to Washington and joining the 'bonus army'.Once the novel shifts from the trench to the American countryside,the pace falters a little because of the author's excessively descriptive style -too many words are used up in creating an atmosphere when more pared down prose would do. Nevertheless,author Sarita Mandanna is able to keep steering in the right direction,and her characters develop nicely,mercifully minus any contrived situations.
One of the most powerful scenes is that of the US army advancing against its own veterans- unarmed veterans - gathered in Washington to voice their demand,and attacking them with tear gas.Threaded into the story are poignant thoughts of what it means to be returning soldiers,to have served a nation that now regards them as a burden.A compelling novel of human relationships and changing times.
The novel opens in the trenches ,the narrative in the voice of Obadiah Nelson, a colored American drifter who is not central to the story but lends it energy with his earthy tone and lust for life.The part of the story that is set in the present belongs to Major James Stonebridge,a soldier from a well-off New England family. He brings back from this war dark memories that stand between him and a shallow society he can no longer tolerate;the memories cut him off even from his own son,Jim.
The appearance of the vibrant Madeleine Scott,an attractive 'flatlander'.injects both romance and a sense of purpose into the Stonebridge family- while Jim is captivated by this woman,the old Major is roused into taking his campaign to Washington and joining the 'bonus army'.Once the novel shifts from the trench to the American countryside,the pace falters a little because of the author's excessively descriptive style -too many words are used up in creating an atmosphere when more pared down prose would do. Nevertheless,author Sarita Mandanna is able to keep steering in the right direction,and her characters develop nicely,mercifully minus any contrived situations.
One of the most powerful scenes is that of the US army advancing against its own veterans- unarmed veterans - gathered in Washington to voice their demand,and attacking them with tear gas.Threaded into the story are poignant thoughts of what it means to be returning soldiers,to have served a nation that now regards them as a burden.A compelling novel of human relationships and changing times.
August 13, 2018
Wavering about how many stars to give this book. It was a holiday read and I didn't get through it very quickly. I liked the juxtaposition of the First World War story with the later Bonus Army story, and the telling of each in parallel kept the story moving and interesting. I found the characters perhaps a little 2D - always set to act in the same way come what may. I loved the idea of Madeleine flying over with her red hair carrying red balloons - what an entrance! - but struggled to reconcile this with somebody who would marry a country bore. I did get her frustration at his poor communication, though!! All in all, a book I'm glad to have read because I learned something from it, but one I'm glad I borrowed from the library.
October 17, 2020
The narrative of this story moves between France in 1914/15, and Vermont and Washington during the 1930s. In France an unlikely friendship develops between New England Yankee James Stonebridge, and Louisiana-born Obadiah Nelson. With very different motivations, each had volunteered to fight on the front-line with the French Foreign Legion and, principally through the distinctive voice of Obadiah, the reader is exposed to all the horrors and moral dilemmas of fighting in the trenches. The third person narrative for the post-war period introduces us to a reclusive, depressed James who has lost touch with Obadiah. As so many returning servicemen did, he is feeling alienated from those who haven’t shared his horrific experiences; he is also struggling to find a meaningful relationship with his grown-up son, Jim. The Depression is affecting everyone, but the veterans of the war feel particularly resentful of the politicians who have consistently reneged on an undertaking to recompense the soldiers, who had been prepared to fight for freedom for just $1.25 a day. When they returned home, they found that others had taken their jobs, and politicians and the general public simply wanted to move on, to forget. Little wonder there was such a sense of betrayal.
This very powerful and elegantly written story movingly captures all the horrors of war in the trenches but, even more affectively, demonstrates the strength and depth of the relationships which were forged in such dangerous conditions. It was interesting to see how readily this camaraderie was recaptured and valued anew during the 1932 Bonus Bill march on Washington; a very poignant reflection of how desperately alienated these men felt following their return to civilian life. Through the narrative covering the 1930s the author vividly and evocatively portrays how the psychological after-effects of the men’s war-time experiences have repercussions, not only on the returning soldiers, but also on their relatives and friends. The struggles experienced in the father/son relationship of James and Jim, and the struggles Jim then experiences with closeness, trust and intimacy, especially in his growing relationship with Madeleine, his much more outgoing girlfriend, were, at times, painful to read. In addition to being moved to tears often throughout the story, I also felt angry with the attitudes of the politicians who had fêted the soldiers when they set off for war, and then refused to keep their promises to them when they returned. I was especially disgusted by their, and the army’s, brutal treatment of the veterans in order to end the 1932 protest marches on Washington.
I thought that the author sympathetically created credible characters, and that she was skilful in the way in which she interwove fiction and factual history. I liked the fact that this story dealt with the participation of American soldiers during the First World War, an aspect seldom touched on in novels covering this period. I was also fascinated to discover that a significant number of American men joined the French Foreign Legion in order to fight before America’s official entry into the war. I hadn’t previously realised the disgraceful way in which successive governments treated the returning veterans – the Bonus Bill wasn’t enacted until 1936. However, it seems that little has been learnt in the intervening years because many of the issues raised in this story, about how society treats its returning service personnel, seem all too familiar today.
The impact of this novel will remain with me for a long time and I think it would provide lots of scope for reading groups to discuss. I believe it should find a place alongside such “classics” as Sebastian Faulk’s Birdsong and Pat Barker’s Regeneration trilogy.
This very powerful and elegantly written story movingly captures all the horrors of war in the trenches but, even more affectively, demonstrates the strength and depth of the relationships which were forged in such dangerous conditions. It was interesting to see how readily this camaraderie was recaptured and valued anew during the 1932 Bonus Bill march on Washington; a very poignant reflection of how desperately alienated these men felt following their return to civilian life. Through the narrative covering the 1930s the author vividly and evocatively portrays how the psychological after-effects of the men’s war-time experiences have repercussions, not only on the returning soldiers, but also on their relatives and friends. The struggles experienced in the father/son relationship of James and Jim, and the struggles Jim then experiences with closeness, trust and intimacy, especially in his growing relationship with Madeleine, his much more outgoing girlfriend, were, at times, painful to read. In addition to being moved to tears often throughout the story, I also felt angry with the attitudes of the politicians who had fêted the soldiers when they set off for war, and then refused to keep their promises to them when they returned. I was especially disgusted by their, and the army’s, brutal treatment of the veterans in order to end the 1932 protest marches on Washington.
I thought that the author sympathetically created credible characters, and that she was skilful in the way in which she interwove fiction and factual history. I liked the fact that this story dealt with the participation of American soldiers during the First World War, an aspect seldom touched on in novels covering this period. I was also fascinated to discover that a significant number of American men joined the French Foreign Legion in order to fight before America’s official entry into the war. I hadn’t previously realised the disgraceful way in which successive governments treated the returning veterans – the Bonus Bill wasn’t enacted until 1936. However, it seems that little has been learnt in the intervening years because many of the issues raised in this story, about how society treats its returning service personnel, seem all too familiar today.
The impact of this novel will remain with me for a long time and I think it would provide lots of scope for reading groups to discuss. I believe it should find a place alongside such “classics” as Sebastian Faulk’s Birdsong and Pat Barker’s Regeneration trilogy.
August 26, 2022
Amazing book profoundly moving, despite having read other WW1 novels the hopeless waste and despair is sensitively portrayed. The after effects of war. The growing friendship between two completely different men, the mystery of their alienation and how it continued to affect them into the future was fascinating. I loved the history and had never heard of the doughboys, of Americans joining the foreign legion as the only way to fight at the start of the war nor of the injustices they suffered along with the Great Depression when the war ended. The rich layering of this book, the love story and descriptive language made this a memorable haunting book.
July 20, 2018
Honestly, I was so touched by this book especially the last 3rd of it in particular. I’ve never cried so much over a book, I’ve never been so touched by a book the author honestly astounded me I’m speechless because it was a beautifully written book. This took me a while to read because not only did I have mock exams but I didn’t understand it that much at the beginging so I needed my brain to process it before I read any more and I even thought about not continuing to read it but I’m so glad I did, this was probably the best read this year!!!!
July 29, 2024
Superb book - new author to me and I highly recommend.
The book follows 2 men of totally different backgrounds who volunteer from the US to fight in WW1. But the majority of the story follows one of them as he lives with the aftermath and PTSD . This though is mainly seen through the eyes of his son and daughter-in-law. This is a slow, complex , watercolour book - it’s beautiful but understated. Much is hinted at without words but with motifs and unsaid details.
Will read this author again
The book follows 2 men of totally different backgrounds who volunteer from the US to fight in WW1. But the majority of the story follows one of them as he lives with the aftermath and PTSD . This though is mainly seen through the eyes of his son and daughter-in-law. This is a slow, complex , watercolour book - it’s beautiful but understated. Much is hinted at without words but with motifs and unsaid details.
Will read this author again
August 3, 2019
Beautiful book set in 1932-1942 and First World War. Relationship of father and son.
April 15, 2020
A brilliant exploration of some very difficult topics.
April 27, 2022
Compelling! Once started, I didn't want to stop. Sarita has an easy to read style yet each chapter is rich with the lives of her characters. Leaving the book was like coming back from another world.
May 17, 2024
Wonderful epic bringing alive the Great War and its aftermath. It seems like we are headed somewhat in the same direction more than a hundred years later. Learned what a Claude mirror is too :)
August 29, 2015
I just love this author.
Tiger Hills was one of my favourite reads the year it was published. Ive been eagerly awaiting another novel for years! Good Hope Road did not disappoint.
Set through WW1 and right up until the moment America is drawn into WW2.
We are taken across WW1 through the eyes of Obadiah, a poor black man from the Bayou with a huge passion for life, love and music. It was tricky getting into this first person narrative due to the way the character speaks / thinks / processes things. Mandanna does a wonderful job of getting inside this characters head, and although it was difficult at first, it soon became my favourite part of the novel.
Secondary to Obadiah is the third person narrative set a couple decades later, which follows Obadiahs Legion brother Major James Stonebridge and his now grown up son.
This book is so poignant and melancholy, but also so beautiful as it explores relationships between friends, father and son, husband and wife. Many a teary moment in this one, Mandanna captures so well the absolute folly of mankind and their desire for and then regret of War.
Tiger Hills was one of my favourite reads the year it was published. Ive been eagerly awaiting another novel for years! Good Hope Road did not disappoint.
Set through WW1 and right up until the moment America is drawn into WW2.
We are taken across WW1 through the eyes of Obadiah, a poor black man from the Bayou with a huge passion for life, love and music. It was tricky getting into this first person narrative due to the way the character speaks / thinks / processes things. Mandanna does a wonderful job of getting inside this characters head, and although it was difficult at first, it soon became my favourite part of the novel.
Secondary to Obadiah is the third person narrative set a couple decades later, which follows Obadiahs Legion brother Major James Stonebridge and his now grown up son.
This book is so poignant and melancholy, but also so beautiful as it explores relationships between friends, father and son, husband and wife. Many a teary moment in this one, Mandanna captures so well the absolute folly of mankind and their desire for and then regret of War.
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April 12, 2016Review in ST: http://bookslive.co.za/blog/2015/12/0...
Quotes:
- It ain't the feet that get to me, but the fingers and hands. -
- In the end, perhaps this is all there is, the thin, dark spaces between tendon and sinew, this emptiness through which we march as if in a dream. The read of our boots rousing the beast, luring it from its lair. Sprung from the madness that lies within each of us, it waits beyond an unseen corner, swinging its steel-tipped tail. We march forward, along these ghosted roads, like ants along the gleaming white of its ribs. -
- Trees have words. -
- Where'd you lose your grin? -
- Music, it be a road. Ain't no tellin' where it begun, ain't nobody can say how it goin' to end, but once it get hold of a man, ain't nothin' he can do but follow it along. And sometimes, maybe sometimes, for it to move ahead at all, the music, it go to go way back, windin' back on itself.
The music, it be a road. -
Quotes:
- It ain't the feet that get to me, but the fingers and hands. -
- In the end, perhaps this is all there is, the thin, dark spaces between tendon and sinew, this emptiness through which we march as if in a dream. The read of our boots rousing the beast, luring it from its lair. Sprung from the madness that lies within each of us, it waits beyond an unseen corner, swinging its steel-tipped tail. We march forward, along these ghosted roads, like ants along the gleaming white of its ribs. -
- Trees have words. -
- Where'd you lose your grin? -
- Music, it be a road. Ain't no tellin' where it begun, ain't nobody can say how it goin' to end, but once it get hold of a man, ain't nothin' he can do but follow it along. And sometimes, maybe sometimes, for it to move ahead at all, the music, it go to go way back, windin' back on itself.
The music, it be a road. -
July 28, 2015
Engaging and compelling, this story offers a more unusual perspective of the First World War from the viewpoint of two American soldiers fighting with the French Foreign Legion. The narrative switches from the inter-war years in the USA and the Bonus boys' campaign in Washington DC back to the trenches and looks at the post-war legacy and it's effect on the soldiers. Likeable characters and a well-crafted storyline makes for an entertaining and poignant read.
Received as a Goodreads giveaway.
Received as a Goodreads giveaway.
July 13, 2021
This was an interesting read as it gave an aspect of American life in the depression and a different take on Americans fighting in the WW1 - for the French foreign legion. it takes a while to get used to the moving from one time period to another, but this is a common writing device. I wasn't quite convinced by the leading lady, Madeleine.
October 8, 2015
Sarita Mandanna is exceptional. Really.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews