Paradise Bay

by James Michael Pratt

For anyone who came of age in the 1950s, 60s, or 70s, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author James Michael Pratt delivers a story that will show you the true meaning of love, and will take you home again...

For all of Jack Santos' life, he was told that his father was killed in the Vietnam War. Then a twist of fate changes everything he thought he knew, and he discovers that his father isn't dead after all. Now Jack is hungry for everything he can find out about this father, Levi Harper. And the only link he has to the past is through Levi's journals. It is through these journals that Jack discovers who his father really his loves, dreams, hopes...and secrets. Can Jack discover the truth about his own life? And can he find the love that will always bring him back to Paradise Bay?

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Contemporary

352 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

Reviews

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the fourth book I read by this author. It was a very good, but sad story that takes place during the Vietnam War. I happened to come across this author one day while browsing in the bookstore. I absolutely loved his first book. I have enjoyed all of his books, but the first (Last Valentine) was one of my all time favorites. This one took a little longer for me to get into, but it ended up being a good story.

[Miriam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Again a good wartime love story, this time set in the Vietnam War era. I love a good, pure love story that has a happy ending. Another job well done for Mr. Pratt.

[Summers · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good story and a good read, not too light, not too heavy. Enjoyed it from beginning to end.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book was very good. I like this author as he weaves history into his stories.

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book! I couldn't put it down!

[Sandy Neal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book! Creative concept - not your usual flashback style of writing. Vietnam experience, reconnecting, the power of music and love. Inhaled this book!

[Iris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightful.

[Barry Martin Vass · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. Magic Realism is a narrative strategy characterized by the matter-of-fact inclusion of fantastic or mythical elements into seemingly realistic fiction. MR is thought to be a logical extension of post-colonial Latin-American writing, when eighteenth-century writers struggled to make sense of two separate realities: that of the conquerors as well as the conquered. Paradise Bay has a great deal in common with that form of writing. The story starts out in Paradise Bay, a small California coastal community somewhat north of Santa Barbara, during the early fifties. The neighbors all know each other and, in the boom and idealism following WWII, things seem picture-perfect. But as the years roll by into the sixties, a shadow rolls over the small town: Vietnam bursts into the news, and the draft is initiated. Levi Harper is more interested in playing the piano than going to college, but to please his father he enrolls at UC Santa Barbara. But his popularity as a "piano man" begins to gain him attention, he begins playing more gigs, and he drops out of school. Of course he's drafted and sent to the chaos of Vietnam. Surviving a horrific battle, he's eventually placed into Marine Force Recon, small teams "ghosting" the Viet Cong in the jungles of Northern Vietnam, looking for any information they can shake loose. When the Tet Offensive starts, he and his team are ordered from the jungle to Hue to fight. Levi sustains a violent head wound, but he's somehow evacuated and survives. Sort of. He's in a coma, classified as "walking catatonic", where he spends the next thirty years in an LA Veterans Hospital. And then one day, walking past a piano, he suddenly sits down and begins to play. If you grew up in small-town California in the fifties or sixties, or if you served during the Vietnam War, Paradise Bay belongs on your bookshelves. A very involving read full of hope!

[Bryan Thomas Schmidt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sadly this just did not hold my interest The way that Last Valentine and The Lighthouse Keeper did. To me there was too much war and too little romance. For me the combination of historical background with love story is the appeal of the author’s work and this was really more of a war story. Disappointing.

[Leslie Books and Socks Rock · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read JMP Valentine book and this has a very similar style. I loved the journals and reading about Levi's experiences. Again, like V-day I didn't care or truly believe the modern romance. It's just not believable to me

[Marissa Ekback]

I loved this book. It wasn't what I was expecting but that was a good thing. This book made me cry several times. It gave me a look into a time in history that I lives through as a kid, but this book gave me insight. Worth reading.

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy read, interesting view on dying, connecting with lost comrades, as spirits, and love lasts forever.

[Dictionary101 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting, heart-felt, but a bit slow. The ending is worth the effort.

[Kathie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed the story

[Danni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting

[Sally Andrews · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent book. Maybe a tad corny, but I liked it ok.

[Goldie Stacey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a good book..I have never been one to read a war book, but this one literally had me from page 1.

[Rea Regan · Rating 5 out of 5]

You know when you ask someone what their favorite book is and they freeze? Well not me... this right here is my all-time favorite book! Yes, really. It comes in number one for me.

This was just a random hardcover I picked up when I was 15 years old...I have read it so many times that my fingerprints are engraved on it (literally).

The writing is so simple, the plot so interesting (and really pulls you back to "old" times), and the characters are so cute too. I ate up their stories and back stories and inner dialogue like I was devouring a chocolate cake.

But apart from that, the problem y'all is that I can't really pinpoint one great reason why I love this book, I just do. I can't really put it into words.

It's a feeling.

I wish I could neatly sum up why this book has stuck with me for so long, why it sits on my shelf and is picked up to re-read at least once a year. I wish I could explain why I have taken this book with me all over the world. I wish I could explain why this book is so good. I wish I could convince you to read it and love it as much as me. But accurately writing down my feelings on why I love this book is impossible. Just trust me?

[Lori Henrich · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this, although when I was reading it I had the strange feeling I had read it before. I had gotten this book from a neighbor a few years back and just picked it up to read but I would swear that I have read this before.

Jack has grown up without a father, believing he was dead. When he finally discovers that his father is alive he is thrilled and saddened at the same time. You see his father is in a coma for the second time. The first time was for over 30 years. He awoke and was back in a strange new world for almost four years before retreating back into another coma. Jack travels to Paradise Bay to his father's childhood home. He finds journals that his father wrote during the time of his awakening. As he reads through them he discovers the man he never knew and also a heart he never knew he had.

Although I had the strange feeling I had read this before I pressed on and it was worth the read. The story flowed well and kept you involved with both the present and the past. Glad I finally got around to reading it.

[Michele · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jack Santos always wished he knew his father, but now that Jack knows he is alive, he can't communicate with him. Levi Harper, a "piano man" like his son, suffered a head wound while serving in Vietnam and fell into a coma. Thirty years later he regains consciousness and is amazed to be an old man instead of a young soldier on his last mission before marrying his childhood sweetheart, Jenna, who is not Jack's mother, but Levi only has four years before he goes under again. Fortunately, he leaves Jack the journals he wrote while coping with his traumatic awakening. Soon Jack is immersed in his father's life, beginning with his childhood and moving through his reluctant but heroic service during the Vietnam War, his love for music, and his love for Jenna, a passion that kept him from marrying Jack's mother. Ultimately, Jack learns as much about himself as about his father.

[Donna Zigmont · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book.I cannot imagine being in a coma for thirty years. this book made me cry several times because it was such an emotional rollercoaster. I don't want to give anything away for those who haven't read it. The story of Levi and Jenna is wonderful and heartbreaking at the same time. I also enjoyed Jack's story.I felt bad that he didn't know his father for most of his life.But it was nice that he finally got to know him.

[Myla · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was fun to read, and it had a lot to do with where my mom grew up, so I've heard a lot about the places in here. Nice story of second chances in life, but there were times where it assumed too much, and didn't really develop the relationships as much as I thought they should. Easy read, good times.

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are a Nicholas Sparks or Richard Paul Evans fan, you will love this book.
Follow the romance between two people through their childhood, service in the Vietnam War, a 30 year coma, separation and reunitment, and hardship and joy. Throw in a father meeting his long lost son and returning to a world lost for 3 decades; and you will be kept interested every step of the way!

[Wilma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anyone who grew up during the 50's, 60's, and 70's will love this story about two soul mates destined to be together since childhood. A twist of fate changes everything. I found the brotherhood of the Marines especially touching in this novel set in the Vietnam War era.

[Chuck · Rating 3 out of 5]

An easy read that can be done in one day. It reminded me of a feel good Hallmark Channel movie. That being said, it was an enjoyable read that I would recommend for all you romantics out there. If you are looking for a classic, it is not for you.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just happened to pick this up off the display case at the library. One of the first Vietnam War books I've really enjoyed. An easy read with themes revolving around love, faith, hope, family. I'll probably look for more of his books.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book about soul mates destined to be but the Vietnam War twisted fate.

[Ada Jacobsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

for anyone who grew up in the 50's, 60's, and 70's you will love this book.

[Diane Macaluso · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many memories were evoked by this story - those of you who grew up in the 50s or 60s, especially, will enjoy!

[Connie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoy Pratt's stories. They make life come alive. No one can wright of a war like Pratt.