Broken Trust

by George Encizo

Eighty-six-year-old Francis Teague had never talked about his teenage years during the 1940s in Monticello, Florida. But that all changed when his granddaughter, Erica Blass, a Leon County paramedic, convinced him to tell her about them. What she didn't expect was that he'd reveal things he'd never told anyone, not his parents, not his wife, not Erica's mother. Some were highly emotionally and personal and some were dark and mysterious, including a family secret.

291 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 14, 2018

About the author

George Encizo is an award-winning author and has written five books. Broken Trust is latest. A retired banker, Encizo lives in Tallahassee, Florida with his wife.

Reviews

[E · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Broken Trust readers learn that Erica had a special relationship with her elderly grandfather. She had heard the regrets of others who had not recorded their loved ones history. With the encouragement of her boyfriend, she approached her grandfather about her writing a book about his pre-teen and teenage years in Monticello, Florida. Surprisingly, he agreed and the project began. He made it clear there were conditions and that he would be revealing secrets. With trepidation, and armed with donuts and later sugar free cookies, the project began. What would she learn about her grandfather?

This is the beautifully told moving story of a family during a difficult time. A child with a strong sense of family commitment comes of age while his father is in the military. He and his mother manage to eke out an existence during his absence while living with the fear he might be hurt or worse. Some of her grandfather's story does make Erica uncomfortable. She struggles- should she include seemingly sensitive matters in the book? The characters are so well presented it seems to the reader that we know them and their world seems very real. And just when Erica has what she had hoped to learn, she learns that there is one more secret and it is a big one.

Engrossing, heartfelt and packed with emotion, Broken Trust is well worth reading. Highly recommended.

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. The opinions expressed are my own.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book I have read by this author and so I wasn’t really sure what to expect. What I found was a very skilled writer who seemed to effortlessly tell a story by switching between two characters POVs, one being that of the current day as told through the eyes of Erica and the other taking us back to the 1940s with Erica’s grandfather, Francis telling the story. Through the authors amazing use of writing skills, the story seems to jump from the pages and the book held my attention from cover to cover. The characters are interesting and very well rounded. This is an awesome book and I recommend anyone with an interest in historical fiction and obviously WWII in particular to read this book, just remember to switch your phone off and get a nice drink as you might just find you don’t want to be interrupted until you have finished reading it!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book, Broken Trust. It's a very compelling story about a grandfather telling the events of his childhood and growing up in the 40's at the time of World War II. The story is riveting from the start, as his father goes off to war. It was so realistic as he and his mother had to buckle down and survive the duration of the war, making ends meet the best as they could. It seemed to be a time of turmoil and much fear, as some men didn't make it back home from the war. He grew up learning to drive and getting odd jobs and meeting girls. It's a good story as he tells his story to his grown-up granddaughter, who is planning to write a book about him and his early life. There were some secrets kept in the telling of the story, so it was an engaging tale that revealed answers as it was told. There were also some surprises. I highly recommend you read this book.

[Trisa Hugo · Rating 3 out of 5]

As Erica and Aaron talk to her grandfather of his early years, he shares horrific stories in a casual, matter of fact way, like as a young boy he needed to slaughter chickens. It is obvious that Erica had a very special relationship with her elderly grandfather. Very soon he trusted Aaron as well. All those donuts made me crave one!

The male voice of the author is a bit disturbing when the female character Erica thinks of Aaron as her drill sergeant, giving commands.

The characters are interesting and well developed.

An easy read, something a bit different and I enjoyed reading it. I recommend this book for anyone with an interest in historical fiction and the wisdom of elderly people.

Thank you Netgalley.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, wow! This was an amazing book. It was one of those that you not only cannot put down, but you really don't want to. There are so many stories that are lost as our lives revolve around technology. This book is a reminder to take time and listen to the stories our elders can tell us. I really loved this story. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book in exchange for a free copy.

[Pat Eroh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Totally different than what I expected but that is okay by me. This is an awesome, wonderful story is so gripping and heartwarming. I highly recommend this story and I am looking forward to more books by this author.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Linda Pifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Suddenly they were all over me like Gina’s aunts and uncles, piling my plate to the ceiling with everything and anything that was on the table. I half expected to hear someone yell, mangiare, mangiare.”

This reader enjoyed peeking into another person’s life as he grew up in a small town located in northern Florida prior to and during the WWII era.

It begins in present day with narration by an adult granddaughter, Erica, who lives in Jacksonville and works as an EMS tech. She increasingly realizes through her professional service to senior citizens that her beloved grandfather may not last forever and takes on the task to record events of his younger life for posterity.

With the help of her boyfriend Aaron, Erica persuades her grandfather to describe his earliest memories with the aid of a ‘memory box’ put together by her grandmother who since had passed away. Memories are stirred and he tells his growing up experiences, some humorous, others, quite serious.

The author has skillfully described saving graces which occur for Erica, her family and grandfather, each with new growth in life as a result of his life story.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.