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A Stream to Follow
WHEN BRUCE DUNCAN, A BATTLEFRONT SURGEON, returns after WWII to a small town in Pennsylvania to open a general practice, the ravages of his war aren't over. Haunted by images of soldiers he tried to save, his own near-death experiences, and a lost love, Bruce has little respite before new battles grip him. His brother, a decorated fighter pilot, is imploding and rebels against attempts to help. A former friend wages a vicious campaign to stop Bruce from uncovering the dangers that could shutter a local industry where silicosis is killing the workers. And Bruce must decide between the slim prospect of reuniting with the Englishwoman who chose her family over him and a growing attraction to a trail-blazing woman doctor.
With a story that moves from post-war America back to the killing fields of Alsace and to England under the siege of German rockets, A Stream to Follow gives fresh vision for paths to healing. Plunging deep into the crucible of trauma, it's an uplifting tale of valor, resilience, and the search for enduring love.
With a story that moves from post-war America back to the killing fields of Alsace and to England under the siege of German rockets, A Stream to Follow gives fresh vision for paths to healing. Plunging deep into the crucible of trauma, it's an uplifting tale of valor, resilience, and the search for enduring love.
329 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 30, 2025
13 people are currently reading
65 people want to read
About the author
Jess Wright
1 book2 followersJess Wright is an internationally recognized psychiatrist and a Kolb Endowed Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Louisville. Breaking Free from Depression, one of his self-help books, has been called a “must-have for finding a way through the pain of depression.” Good Days Ahead, his scientifically tested online program for depression and anxiety, has helped many thousands on their path to recovery. He is also the first author of a trilogy of award-winning and best-selling books that integrate text and video to help readers learn the key methods of cognitive-behavior therapy, and has lectured widely in Europe, Asia, South America, and the United States. A Stream to Follow is his first novel.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
March 21, 2022
A STREAM TO FOLLOW
by Jess Wright
SparkPress
Out Apr 19.
Bruce Duncan, WWII frontline surgeon just home to start a practice in Pennsylvania, struggles with profound PTSD, as does his fighter pilot brother. The stunning histfic tale takes us from America post-war back to the bloody fields in Alsace and to embattled England, where their traumas occurred.
Written by famed psychiatrist Jess Wright, Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Louisville, the story reveals the difficult path to recovery as a new "battlefield" opens up when Bruce takes on a corporation whose employees face harmful conditions. He also struggles in love, trying to decide between an English woman he once desperately loved, and a strong woman doctor. All the while turning to fly fishing to restore his ravaged mind.
I found the beautifully-penned narrative of keen interest, and learned so much about trauma as I rooted for Bruce to recover and experience renewed health and life. A must-read for those intrigued by WWII, PTSD, and deeply felt stories.
Thanks to the author, SparkPress, and NetGalley for the ARC. Opinions are mine.
#AStreamToFollow #JessWright #SparkPress #NetGalley #WWIhistficnovels #PTSDfromWWII #flyfishingastherapy #WWIIEngland #WWIIAlsace #WWIIPilots#frontlinewarsurgeons
#bookstgramcommunity
by Jess Wright
SparkPress
Out Apr 19.
Bruce Duncan, WWII frontline surgeon just home to start a practice in Pennsylvania, struggles with profound PTSD, as does his fighter pilot brother. The stunning histfic tale takes us from America post-war back to the bloody fields in Alsace and to embattled England, where their traumas occurred.
Written by famed psychiatrist Jess Wright, Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Louisville, the story reveals the difficult path to recovery as a new "battlefield" opens up when Bruce takes on a corporation whose employees face harmful conditions. He also struggles in love, trying to decide between an English woman he once desperately loved, and a strong woman doctor. All the while turning to fly fishing to restore his ravaged mind.
I found the beautifully-penned narrative of keen interest, and learned so much about trauma as I rooted for Bruce to recover and experience renewed health and life. A must-read for those intrigued by WWII, PTSD, and deeply felt stories.
Thanks to the author, SparkPress, and NetGalley for the ARC. Opinions are mine.
#AStreamToFollow #JessWright #SparkPress #NetGalley #WWIhistficnovels #PTSDfromWWII #flyfishingastherapy #WWIIEngland #WWIIAlsace #WWIIPilots#frontlinewarsurgeons
#bookstgramcommunity
March 5, 2022
Bruce Duncan may have left the battlefield behind, but when he returns to small-town Pennsylvania after WW2 to open a general practice he experiences first-hand the long echo of wartime trauma - PTSD. A frontline surgeon, he’s anxious to put the nightmare of Alsace behind him. The path to recovery and healing isn’t as straightforward as he’d like.
When he took the Hippocratic oath wide-eyed and full of optimism, he had no idea that it would take all he had to uphold it in postwar America. Saving lives, he discovered, doesn’t just happen on an operating table, in a doctor’s office or on the battlefield. His determination fuels his fight for the lives of workers at a silica plant when it’s discovered that the silica is causing death. The tension ramps up because he’s taking the fight to the one industry that is the mainstay of the economy. Interestingly, we continue to face some of the same dilemmas today.
I was shocked at how the returning soldiers were received and noted that although PTSD wasn’t officially recognized until 1980, soldiers knew to immerse themselves in a sport that aided in reflection and peace. Bruce sought solace in fly-fishing as it allowed him to cope with stress. I loved the metaphorical title and the fact that three of the main characters were searching for meaning. The two females were strong, driven, educated women whose achievements drove them as they navigated societal constraints as they worked to make meaningful contributions. I’d never thought of this aspect before, but as I read, it made complete sense.
A book about a frontline surgeon written by a medical doctor, this historical fiction needs to be on your reading list.
I was gifted this advance copy by Jess Wright, SparkPress, and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.
When he took the Hippocratic oath wide-eyed and full of optimism, he had no idea that it would take all he had to uphold it in postwar America. Saving lives, he discovered, doesn’t just happen on an operating table, in a doctor’s office or on the battlefield. His determination fuels his fight for the lives of workers at a silica plant when it’s discovered that the silica is causing death. The tension ramps up because he’s taking the fight to the one industry that is the mainstay of the economy. Interestingly, we continue to face some of the same dilemmas today.
I was shocked at how the returning soldiers were received and noted that although PTSD wasn’t officially recognized until 1980, soldiers knew to immerse themselves in a sport that aided in reflection and peace. Bruce sought solace in fly-fishing as it allowed him to cope with stress. I loved the metaphorical title and the fact that three of the main characters were searching for meaning. The two females were strong, driven, educated women whose achievements drove them as they navigated societal constraints as they worked to make meaningful contributions. I’d never thought of this aspect before, but as I read, it made complete sense.
A book about a frontline surgeon written by a medical doctor, this historical fiction needs to be on your reading list.
I was gifted this advance copy by Jess Wright, SparkPress, and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.
May 30, 2022
Thoroughly enjoyed this book. A realistic many faceted look at America after WW2. I loved the descriptive details and interactions of the characters. Families can be complex!
February 19, 2022
I found this book incredibly hard to get into. I think in large part it lacked finesse and contained dialogue that felt way too modern.
Another book with excellent promise, specifically because it focuses a lot on post-war life for soldiers but it just did not do it for me.
I gave up 20% in.
Another book with excellent promise, specifically because it focuses a lot on post-war life for soldiers but it just did not do it for me.
I gave up 20% in.
April 15, 2022
A Stream to Follow is set primarily in a small town in Pennsylvania in the years immediately following WWII. Both Bruce Duncan and his brother Glen served in the war; Bruce as a front-line surgeon, Glen as a fighter pilot. Both were severely injured and carry scars both physical and psychological, challenging their abilities to settle into lives put on hold for the war.
The author is a professor of psychiatry, with several non-fiction books on depression and anxiety preceding this first novel. His expertise informs his portrayal of the psychological issues which both Bruce and his brother have: both deal with PTSD, but Glen also fights addiction and other diagnoses. Portrayed sensitively, they are part of the tensions of the story, but not the only ones. Wright weaves many of the changes and tensions of post-war life into the personal story: the struggle against industrial disease in the face of indifference couched as a concern for employment and the economy; social change reflected by a woman doctor setting up practice; conflicts of class and economic status. He captures the flavour and feel of post-war fiction, bringing immediately to my mind the 1946 film The Best Years of Our Lives and its depiction of servicemen adjusting to post-war small-town life.
Bruce is a fly-fisherman, and the passages describing his hours on the rivers are almost lyrical, contrasting the peace of nature and quiet contemplation against the problems of his daily life. It is this pastime that brings him another of both his conflicts and his joys: the English woman Amelia, whom he meets on the River Test in Hampshire. Also a fisherwoman, Amelia is the heir to the estate on which Bruce is fishing, with responsibilities to her ancestral lands. Their love story is fraught with complications: neither can easily leave behind their obligations at home.
The scenes in England ring less true, even when seen through Bruce’s, an American’s, eyes. Some of the terms used by Amelia are odd: V-rocket, rather than V2 or the more commonly used ‘doodlebug’; ‘manor’ rather than ‘estate’ when referring to her inherited lands. But forgiving those, Amelia’s indecision is that of many war brides: does she leave behind everything familiar to join the man she loves in a new land?
A Stream to Follow is a nostalgic book in its depiction of a time when church and community could be relied upon for support, when small-town physicians made house calls—but it also does not shy away from the secrets and scars carried by men and women living their everyday lives.
Originally Reviewed for Discovering Diamonds
The author is a professor of psychiatry, with several non-fiction books on depression and anxiety preceding this first novel. His expertise informs his portrayal of the psychological issues which both Bruce and his brother have: both deal with PTSD, but Glen also fights addiction and other diagnoses. Portrayed sensitively, they are part of the tensions of the story, but not the only ones. Wright weaves many of the changes and tensions of post-war life into the personal story: the struggle against industrial disease in the face of indifference couched as a concern for employment and the economy; social change reflected by a woman doctor setting up practice; conflicts of class and economic status. He captures the flavour and feel of post-war fiction, bringing immediately to my mind the 1946 film The Best Years of Our Lives and its depiction of servicemen adjusting to post-war small-town life.
Bruce is a fly-fisherman, and the passages describing his hours on the rivers are almost lyrical, contrasting the peace of nature and quiet contemplation against the problems of his daily life. It is this pastime that brings him another of both his conflicts and his joys: the English woman Amelia, whom he meets on the River Test in Hampshire. Also a fisherwoman, Amelia is the heir to the estate on which Bruce is fishing, with responsibilities to her ancestral lands. Their love story is fraught with complications: neither can easily leave behind their obligations at home.
The scenes in England ring less true, even when seen through Bruce’s, an American’s, eyes. Some of the terms used by Amelia are odd: V-rocket, rather than V2 or the more commonly used ‘doodlebug’; ‘manor’ rather than ‘estate’ when referring to her inherited lands. But forgiving those, Amelia’s indecision is that of many war brides: does she leave behind everything familiar to join the man she loves in a new land?
A Stream to Follow is a nostalgic book in its depiction of a time when church and community could be relied upon for support, when small-town physicians made house calls—but it also does not shy away from the secrets and scars carried by men and women living their everyday lives.
Originally Reviewed for Discovering Diamonds
March 20, 2022
I've not read many novels about life right after WWII for the soldiers who had to come back home and try to reintegrate back into a normal life. This novel follows a soldier who was a doctor/surgeon on the front-line during WWII and has to now assimilate back into the normal routine of life while dealing with PTSD and various things he saw and had to do while in the midst of battle around him. This was a very good read in that I don't think many of us think about this part of the war- it's over the heroes are home and let’s move on, but many are fighting demons from that time.
Bruce makes it back home to Pennsylvania where he plans to open a general practice and ease back into life. But life like usual has other plans and soon he has to perform a lifesaving surgery that makes him start questioning the factory in town and what those workers conditions are like. He is not ready to fight another battle but he knows these people need help. Meanwhile, word of a lady doctor coming to set up shop is spreading around town and his brother who was also in the war is fighting his war demons with the bottom of a bottle.
People are not happy that Bruce is stirring things up with workers at the local factory, meanwhile he sees that his brother is not coping well and is trying to do his best to get him help, while working through his own issues. Never thinking he'd have to fear his life back at home Bruce is back in the midst of battle but a battle where he is the only target.
Thank you to Books Forward and Sparkpress for the free novel. I really enjoyed reading this perspective of the war and the author did a great job with the flashbacks, it made me understand a little better how easy that is for someone to have and have to deal with.
Bruce makes it back home to Pennsylvania where he plans to open a general practice and ease back into life. But life like usual has other plans and soon he has to perform a lifesaving surgery that makes him start questioning the factory in town and what those workers conditions are like. He is not ready to fight another battle but he knows these people need help. Meanwhile, word of a lady doctor coming to set up shop is spreading around town and his brother who was also in the war is fighting his war demons with the bottom of a bottle.
People are not happy that Bruce is stirring things up with workers at the local factory, meanwhile he sees that his brother is not coping well and is trying to do his best to get him help, while working through his own issues. Never thinking he'd have to fear his life back at home Bruce is back in the midst of battle but a battle where he is the only target.
Thank you to Books Forward and Sparkpress for the free novel. I really enjoyed reading this perspective of the war and the author did a great job with the flashbacks, it made me understand a little better how easy that is for someone to have and have to deal with.
May 25, 2022
There aren't many novels I've read about life after WWII for the soldiers who had to come back home and make their way into normal life again. As the story unfolds, we follow a doctor/surgeon who served on the front lines during WWII and has to now assimilate back into the normal routine of life while dealing with PTSD and various things he saw and had to do while fighting on the front lines. I think many of us don't think about this part of the war- it's over, the heroes are home, let's move on, but many still fight demons from that time.
After moving back home to Pennsylvania, Bruce plans to start a general practice and get back to normal. Life has other plans, and he has to do a lifesaving surgery that makes him wonder about the factory and what the workers are like. Although he doesn't want to fight another battle, he knows these people need help. There are rumors about a lady doctor setting up shop in town, and his brother, who was also in war, is fighting war demons with a bottom of a bottle.
Workers at the factory don't like Bruce stirring things up, but he sees his brother is not doing well and is trying to get him help while working on his own issues. Bruce is back in the midst of a battle, but it's a battle where he's the only one who's at risk.
After moving back home to Pennsylvania, Bruce plans to start a general practice and get back to normal. Life has other plans, and he has to do a lifesaving surgery that makes him wonder about the factory and what the workers are like. Although he doesn't want to fight another battle, he knows these people need help. There are rumors about a lady doctor setting up shop in town, and his brother, who was also in war, is fighting war demons with a bottom of a bottle.
Workers at the factory don't like Bruce stirring things up, but he sees his brother is not doing well and is trying to get him help while working on his own issues. Bruce is back in the midst of a battle, but it's a battle where he's the only one who's at risk.
September 16, 2022
Genre - historical, WWII, literary fiction
Time - 1944-1946
Location - France, field hospital and Hollidaysberg, Pennsylvania (an actual village in central Penn.)
Rating - 3.7 rounded up
Bruce Duncan is a battlefield surgeon who returns to his home in Pennsylvania after WWII, where he intends to open a general practice. However he encounters many difficulties that he had not anticipated. He experiences PTSD from his experiences at the field hospital - the terrible injuries and deaths of the soldiers he treated.
His brother, Bruce had been a pilot during the war, becomes manic-depressive and refuses Bruce's advice or help. Then Bruce becomes aware that a local factory is causing a serious lung condition (sillicosis) in it's workers that leads to difficulty breathing and an early death
If that is not enough, Bruce is grieving the loss of an Englishwoman he met while on leave, whom he fell in love with. They had bonded over a shared passion for fly fishing. She writes to tell him that she had decided to marry a man of her father's choosing.
These people sympathetic and are all so well portrayed, with virtues and imperfections.
The author is an internationally recognized psychiatrist and an author of 8 medical books.
Time - 1944-1946
Location - France, field hospital and Hollidaysberg, Pennsylvania (an actual village in central Penn.)
Rating - 3.7 rounded up
Bruce Duncan is a battlefield surgeon who returns to his home in Pennsylvania after WWII, where he intends to open a general practice. However he encounters many difficulties that he had not anticipated. He experiences PTSD from his experiences at the field hospital - the terrible injuries and deaths of the soldiers he treated.
His brother, Bruce had been a pilot during the war, becomes manic-depressive and refuses Bruce's advice or help. Then Bruce becomes aware that a local factory is causing a serious lung condition (sillicosis) in it's workers that leads to difficulty breathing and an early death
If that is not enough, Bruce is grieving the loss of an Englishwoman he met while on leave, whom he fell in love with. They had bonded over a shared passion for fly fishing. She writes to tell him that she had decided to marry a man of her father's choosing.
These people sympathetic and are all so well portrayed, with virtues and imperfections.
The author is an internationally recognized psychiatrist and an author of 8 medical books.
August 21, 2022
Thanks to the author and BookSparks for a copy of this novel! All opinions are my own.
Overall rating: 4.25. I didn’t think I’d like this novel as much as I did - WWII themes are a dime a dozen in novels and sometimes they can be so overdone and boring that I don’t even bother. THIS book, however, was such a pleasant surprise.
I loved the moments of reflection as Bruce struggled with his images of the war while he started his new post-war life back home - as someone whose partner has PTSD from his time in the service, I know the mental toll it can take on service members, and during a time when this was not well known, documented, or discussed, his revelations into his own person troubles and his brother’s struggles was enlightening.
I loved the medical battle between Bruce and Allegheny Refineries - his dedication to his patients is indicative of his profession as a doctor and also as a soldier.
And of course, his love for Amelia. Who doesn’t love a good romance? Goes without saying that this was one of my favorite story lines :)
Wonderful novel!!! Very highly recommended!
Overall rating: 4.25. I didn’t think I’d like this novel as much as I did - WWII themes are a dime a dozen in novels and sometimes they can be so overdone and boring that I don’t even bother. THIS book, however, was such a pleasant surprise.
I loved the moments of reflection as Bruce struggled with his images of the war while he started his new post-war life back home - as someone whose partner has PTSD from his time in the service, I know the mental toll it can take on service members, and during a time when this was not well known, documented, or discussed, his revelations into his own person troubles and his brother’s struggles was enlightening.
I loved the medical battle between Bruce and Allegheny Refineries - his dedication to his patients is indicative of his profession as a doctor and also as a soldier.
And of course, his love for Amelia. Who doesn’t love a good romance? Goes without saying that this was one of my favorite story lines :)
Wonderful novel!!! Very highly recommended!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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April 19, 2025I had such fun reading my first cousin once removed’s (yes, I had to look that up) debut novel!! It is set in Hollidaysburg, an area of central PA that is near and dear to my heart. I pictured exactly where he was talking about, from the hills and old homes of downtown to the picturesque Spruce Creek, loved the “name dropping” of things like my grandmother’s high school, and delighted in both knowing who some characters were based on and the anticipation of comparing notes with other family members to figure out more. It was a great book that captured and kept my attention with distinct but intertwined story lines that had it all - suspense, romance, crime, war, family drama, love, you name it. It also offered me a rare foray into a fairly recent but much different time, one that was accurately portrayed as simultaneously much simpler and much more complex. The detailed flashbacks to WWII offered a glimpse into a part of history I should know more about, done in a way that was moving and entertaining while also gritty, realistic and graphic. I’m already looking forward to his next book 🙂
February 13, 2022
For many WWII veterans, the war didn’t end on VE Day. The battle within lingered long after they set foot back on American soil. This remained true for Bruce Duncan, a front line trauma surgeon. As he struggled to get his own practice off the ground, he becomes entangled in a bitter battle with a corporation after he finds that the working conditions are threatening the health of its employees. All the while he longs for the woman he fell in love with when he was stationed in England yet worries for her safety when she arrives thanks to the disgruntled businessmen.
I enjoyed this story for many reasons. I’ve read very little about the doctors who’ve returned from the war. They’ve seen things that are etched in their memories forever. It’s important to shed light on the fact that they suffer from PTSD too. I love that Bruce’s coping mechanism is fishing. I found it very soothing as I read the fishing scenes. This story is also about relationships, from love to friendship to loyalty to jealousy. This is a fast read as it definitely keeps your attention from start to finish.
Thanks so much to NetGalley, Sparkpress and Jess Weight for early access to this story. I glad I got the chance to read it.
I enjoyed this story for many reasons. I’ve read very little about the doctors who’ve returned from the war. They’ve seen things that are etched in their memories forever. It’s important to shed light on the fact that they suffer from PTSD too. I love that Bruce’s coping mechanism is fishing. I found it very soothing as I read the fishing scenes. This story is also about relationships, from love to friendship to loyalty to jealousy. This is a fast read as it definitely keeps your attention from start to finish.
Thanks so much to NetGalley, Sparkpress and Jess Weight for early access to this story. I glad I got the chance to read it.
April 19, 2022
A Stream to Follow was a beautiful and moving novel which started slow but grew as it went on. It was really refreshing to read an emotional, heartfelt story from the male perspective. At times it felt like there was a bit too much going on, with the memories of WWII which had just ended, starting again after the war, PTSD, manic-depressive behaviour, standing up for mistreated factory workers, jealous spouses and lost loves... All in all I loved the parts about the war in England and in the battlefields, I think they were very well-written and believable in both beauty and horror, and it was also interesting to return with Bruce Duncan to his small Pennsylvanian hometown and be right there with him as he tried to put the different pieces of his life back together. The love story was beautiful. And I think the cover of the book is gorgeous!
Thank you to the publisher for the chance to read the book in advance; I give it three and a half stars.
Thank you to the publisher for the chance to read the book in advance; I give it three and a half stars.
July 11, 2023
This book was not on my list of books to read. It instead came to me when the author, Jess Wright, joined my chorus to sing at singing competition this past weekend. At one of our rehearsals, he brought a few copies of his book and picked one up to read on the way home. The book is on of war and love, pain and joy, choices and difficult situations and the pain of participation in the devastation of war. The book is well written and was an enjoyable read. Thank you Jess for singing with us and for sharing this story with us.
August 1, 2022
It was a really engaging book, especially for a first time author. As a therapist, I really liked the PTSD piece and am really impressed with the author as a psychiatrist. I was hoping for a slightly different ending and felt like it just all of a sudden ended without closing up with things…that could be because my last book was “The Count of Monte Cristo” and at a whopping 1,200 pages, it spent an extraordinarily amount of time closing.
April 19, 2022
This is a wonderful historical novel, very well-researched, about a physician coming out of World War II, returning home to Pennsylvania where he sets up shop as a family physician. He encounters PTSD, the ravages of silicosis, and other challenges. He's a compelling protagonist who develops resilience and finds love. This is a joy to read.
December 18, 2022
I got this book at a bookstore for a "blind date," and it was covered with paper. It was not exactly what I was expecting. If this was a blind date, it was a pretty depressing one. The writing was good, and I think it is a good story of returning to life after the war, but I got halfway through and realized that I wasn't attached to the characters, and I didn't see where it was going.
February 8, 2022
When Bruce Duncan gets back to Pennsylvania from World War II his battle isn’t over. He will find himself fighting not only his nightmares but helping his brother with his, nursing a broken heart and uncovering an insidious work process that is ruining the lungs of the employees for the town’s main industry. This book was long, but so worth reading. Once you get started it’s hard to stop. This is truly historical fiction at its best. Jess Wright has written a wonderful book in one but I highly recommend. It is now on a list of nine books that are my pop favorites. I received this book from NetGalley Shelf but I am leaving this review voluntarily. Please forgive any grammatical or punctuational errors as I am blind and dictate my review.
January 15, 2023
An interesting premise but I would have liked more depth to the storyline
September 1, 2024
The author is an MD, PhD highly regarded psychiatrist who has written many non-fiction books about his speciality in treating depression. This was his first attempt to write a novel. I had heard about the book from a relative who has spent her entire life in Hollidaysburg, the hometown of the novel's hero, Dr. Bruce Duncan. I'd grown up near Hollidaysburg too. And Jess Wright is a relative of mine by marriage. Not that we are acquainted.
Jess Wright weaves his story around the life of the doctor, jumping back and forth from his time as a field surgeon in France during the second World War, to his life back home in Hollidaysburg as he tries to adjust to life again, as he starts up his GP practice. Chapters are filled with excruciating details of his hobby as a fly fisherman or the soldiers he treated in the war. And then there's his battle with the fictitious Allegheny Refractory Company who has refused to take measures to prevent the workmen from developing silicosis, a deadly lung disease caused by breathing silica dust. Here was the part of the story that I thought would be most interesting to me since I come from a family that was heavily involved in the refractory business in the 40's, 50's, and 60's in that same area in Pennsylvania. There are other story lines in the novel--the love affair with an upper crust English woman (begun during a fly fishing episode--ugh), the trouble he has with certain men in Hollidaysburg (why in the world would a local newspaper print such letters to the editor?), the trouble with his brother's mental illness, the trouble with an old girlfriend now married trying to seduce him.
It sounds like it should be a good book, full of interesting characters and historical content--Hollidaysburg in the mid 40's with some World War II battlefront details thrown in. I notice most people who've reviewed the book think it IS great. But I am disappointed to put it mildly. I'm halfway through and I think I'm giving up. The problem is the character portrayals. They don't seem real (especially all the women) and I don't care about any of them. I don't even like the doctor very much. Some events seem positively unbelievable and ludicrous, the dialogue is idiotic in places. I keep thinking, shouldn't the editor have crossed that bit out?
Jess Wright weaves his story around the life of the doctor, jumping back and forth from his time as a field surgeon in France during the second World War, to his life back home in Hollidaysburg as he tries to adjust to life again, as he starts up his GP practice. Chapters are filled with excruciating details of his hobby as a fly fisherman or the soldiers he treated in the war. And then there's his battle with the fictitious Allegheny Refractory Company who has refused to take measures to prevent the workmen from developing silicosis, a deadly lung disease caused by breathing silica dust. Here was the part of the story that I thought would be most interesting to me since I come from a family that was heavily involved in the refractory business in the 40's, 50's, and 60's in that same area in Pennsylvania. There are other story lines in the novel--the love affair with an upper crust English woman (begun during a fly fishing episode--ugh), the trouble he has with certain men in Hollidaysburg (why in the world would a local newspaper print such letters to the editor?), the trouble with his brother's mental illness, the trouble with an old girlfriend now married trying to seduce him.
It sounds like it should be a good book, full of interesting characters and historical content--Hollidaysburg in the mid 40's with some World War II battlefront details thrown in. I notice most people who've reviewed the book think it IS great. But I am disappointed to put it mildly. I'm halfway through and I think I'm giving up. The problem is the character portrayals. They don't seem real (especially all the women) and I don't care about any of them. I don't even like the doctor very much. Some events seem positively unbelievable and ludicrous, the dialogue is idiotic in places. I keep thinking, shouldn't the editor have crossed that bit out?
April 24, 2022
I am addicted to WW2 Historical Fiction, especially in regards to England. Anything that helps me understand what my relatives went through is a must read for me.
The premise of this story really grabbed me. I was going to get the view point of a yank returning to America and how his life had changed. Bruce Duncan was an American Doctor that was on the frontline. The details shared were heart wrenching. I was gutted. The author brought realism to the pages. This was just what I was looking for in a book.
Bruce Duncan is also an obsessed fly fisherman. I will admit I couldn't grasp the sport. And there was quite a lot of fly fishing that took place. The sport is important because that is how he meets Amelia, an upper class female home on leave from her war job in London. It was all a little hush hush so it had me wanting to know more.
The romance between the Brit and the yank was a real joy. The reader gets to see some of the struggles they met. We went along as they moved across the city. The author did a great job of describing the damages that occurred before and during their courtship. The rescues were detailed. Talk about nail biting. I don't know how they did it. No wonder Bruce experienced flashbacks.
Not all of the story takes place in Europe. Bruce returns home to Philadelphia allowing the reader to see how he is treated. We also get to see how the war affected others. Glen, Bruce's brother had been a pilot. He had been shot down suffering major burns.
Bruce's fight to save lives doesn't stop with the end of the war. He takes his job seriously. He will risk everything to save the lives of workers at a brick works dying after breathing silica for years. The drama is intense. As danger increases; Bruce starts to wonder if it will be safe for Amelia to come to America.
I loved reading about the challenges they faced. There were a lot of decisions to be made. It wouldn't be easy for them. It didn't matter if Bruce moved to England or Amelia came to America. A Stream to Follow gives glimpses into what life was like. The story generates understanding, respect and empathy.
The premise of this story really grabbed me. I was going to get the view point of a yank returning to America and how his life had changed. Bruce Duncan was an American Doctor that was on the frontline. The details shared were heart wrenching. I was gutted. The author brought realism to the pages. This was just what I was looking for in a book.
Bruce Duncan is also an obsessed fly fisherman. I will admit I couldn't grasp the sport. And there was quite a lot of fly fishing that took place. The sport is important because that is how he meets Amelia, an upper class female home on leave from her war job in London. It was all a little hush hush so it had me wanting to know more.
The romance between the Brit and the yank was a real joy. The reader gets to see some of the struggles they met. We went along as they moved across the city. The author did a great job of describing the damages that occurred before and during their courtship. The rescues were detailed. Talk about nail biting. I don't know how they did it. No wonder Bruce experienced flashbacks.
Not all of the story takes place in Europe. Bruce returns home to Philadelphia allowing the reader to see how he is treated. We also get to see how the war affected others. Glen, Bruce's brother had been a pilot. He had been shot down suffering major burns.
Bruce's fight to save lives doesn't stop with the end of the war. He takes his job seriously. He will risk everything to save the lives of workers at a brick works dying after breathing silica for years. The drama is intense. As danger increases; Bruce starts to wonder if it will be safe for Amelia to come to America.
I loved reading about the challenges they faced. There were a lot of decisions to be made. It wouldn't be easy for them. It didn't matter if Bruce moved to England or Amelia came to America. A Stream to Follow gives glimpses into what life was like. The story generates understanding, respect and empathy.
July 10, 2023
dnf 20%
I could not bring myself to finish this book, although the premise sounded so interesting.
My biggest problem was not even how the book is written, but how the main character describes women, and how he describes himself. Apparently, only he can have something more than looks, and for the same reason women (which are heavily physically stereotyped) are supposed throw themselves to any male character they encounter.
Which such a premise, I had no intention of learning about the character's fate.
I could not bring myself to finish this book, although the premise sounded so interesting.
My biggest problem was not even how the book is written, but how the main character describes women, and how he describes himself. Apparently, only he can have something more than looks, and for the same reason women (which are heavily physically stereotyped) are supposed throw themselves to any male character they encounter.
Which such a premise, I had no intention of learning about the character's fate.
December 15, 2022
This was such an enjoyable read! I loved reading about Bruce's return to Pennsylvania after the end of WWII. The author wrote in such a way that made everything seem so very real. It was heartbreaking while also being heartwarming at the same time.
I always love to read historical fiction set around WWII, but I think this is the first one I've read that has a setting in the States.
A huge thanks to BooksForwardPR for sending this my way!
I always love to read historical fiction set around WWII, but I think this is the first one I've read that has a setting in the States.
A huge thanks to BooksForwardPR for sending this my way!
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