Review: A Master Plan For Rescue by Janis Cooke Newman

Set in 1942 New York and Berlin, A Master Plan for Rescue is an enchanting novel about the life-giving powers of storytelling, and the heroism that can be inspired by love. In essence, it is two love stories. It is the story of a child who worships his parents, then loses his father to an accident and his mother to her resulting grief. And it is the story of a young man who stumbles into the romance of his life, then watches her decline, forever changing the arc of his future. Each is propelled by the belief that if he acts heroically enough, it will restore some part of what -- or whom -- he has lost.

But when they meet, this boy and this man, their combined grief and magical thinking will allow them to dream the impossible. Sharing stories of the people they have lost, they are inspired to join forces and act in their memory. To do something so memorable that it might actually bring their loved ones back -– even if only in spirit.

A Master Plan for Rescue is a beautiful tale, propelled by history and imagination, that suggests people's impact upon the world doesn't necessarily end with their lives, and that, to some degree, we are the sum of the stories we tell.

Hardcover, 336 pages

Published July 14th 2015 by Riverhead Books

 

Terri's Thoughts

I won a copy of this book in a giveaway on Goodreads.  In return I will provide my honest opinion.

Those who know me know that I love any story that surrounds wartime.  In my world, this type of story is what I mainly handed out my elusive 5 stars ratings to.  Sadly, this will not be one of those stories.  I just didn't feel it like I expected to.

Maybe I was in the wrong frame of mind as I see that many have had glowing reviews of this story.  I just simply found it too busy.  Its a story about a child who loses his father, then it is about his uncle, then it is about Jakob.  Every bit character also had a backstory.  I felt it was simply too much packed in to a 336 page novel.  I felt that if it was just the child and Jakob then there would have been more opportunity to feel the emotion.

I was much more invested in Jakob's story over all of the stories.  This makes sense because I am a sucker for a sad story during wartime.  This was when I really got lost in the story.  So much so that I was not too happy when it switched back.

This is going to be one of those books that I think most people will enjoy.  I think I will probably be in the minority for thinking it was just ok.  I do believe this is a case that you have to read it and judge for yourself.  For me it was just too busy for my liking however still a decent read.

 

About the Author

 

anis Cooke Newman is the author of A Master Plan for Rescue , a magical novel about the surprising acts of heroism that can be inspired by love. She is also the author of Mary , a historical novel about Mary Todd Lincoln. Mary was chosen by USA Today as the best historical fiction of 2006 and was a finalist for the LA Times First Fiction award. She is also the author of The Russian Word for Snow, a memoir about adopting her son from a Moscow orphanage. Both books are available in paperback. Newman is the founder of the Lit Camp writers conference.

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