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Ordinary Heroes by Scott Turow - 3 stars - My Review

Dual timeline story of a father and son. In the early 2000’s, Stewart Dubinsky, son of lawyer David Dubin, searches through his father’s WWII service records to find out why he was court marshalled. He uncovers a related mystery within these records of what happened to an American suspected of spying for the Russians, whom his father was sent to arrest. Stewart finds out his father was involved in the Battle of the Bulge and he uncovers several family secrets.

First, the positives. The beginning of this book is setup in an interesting manner and generates curiosity in the reader. It is well-written, and the WWII era feels authentic. The author clearly shows the horrors of war (it is not for people easily disturbed by gruesome descriptions of war-related violence). I listened to the audio CDs, narrated by Edward Herman. He does an excellent job of voice modulation and his reading voice is pleasing to the ear.

The primary downside is the construct. A manuscript, written by David Dubin at the request of his legal counsel, is the vehicle to be used in his defense. Unfortunately, this document contains intimate details of sexual nature, and it is a stretch to believe Dubin would have included such information. I think the reader is supposed to like the supporting characters, Robert Martin, the alleged spy, and Gita Lodz, his accomplice, but I found it difficult – they struck me as extremely unpleasant. The WWII storyline is more compelling and better developed than the present-day narrative. I liked it but cannot say I liked it a lot.