The Reunion by Dan Walsh

 The Reunion starts with the story of Aaron, a Vietnam vet, who lost his family after returning from combat due to his inability to get it together. Years later he accepts the love of God and gets his life on track but has never gone looking to make contact with his children. We are then introduced to Karen, his daughter now in her 40s, who has given up on love because of her father walking out on the family and a failed relationship. The story then takes a turn in an unknowing direction when we meet Dave, an editor for a local paper who is covering high school sports. He is raising his teen son since his ex-wife died in a plane crash. Quickly we learn he is writing a book about Vietnam vets and the lives of these three individuals intersect.

The title initially references the annual reunion of three Vietnam war buddies who are looking to find Aaron to thank him for saving their lives so many years ago. They have hired Dave to locate him and in the process provide him with material for his book. Dave learns that Aaron continues to be a hero even while living a simple life as handyman in a trailer park.

The Reunion has it all - family relationships, forgiveness, a little romance, a touch of history, wonderful blending of stories and an important message: "Sometimes people need to experience the blessing of thanking others for the kind things they've done, and the people who've done those kind things need to let them."

I loved this book; it's the best that Dan Walsh has written! I was amazed at how easily he intertwined the stories of the main characters as well as interjecting flashbacks. The story and its message will appeal to many.

Available September 2012 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

For the for the next week, starting today and running till next Monday, September 17^th, Dan Walsh is celebrating the release of his new novel, The Reunion, with a 10-book giveaway contest! Five winners will each receive a signed copy of The Reunion, as well as his third novel, The Deepest Waters. (He’s  including this book because it was named a finalist for an ACFW Carol Award for book-of-the-year). Click on the link below to see how easily you can enter the contest!

http://danwalshbooks.com/the-reunion-book-giveaway-contest/

This book was provided to me by Donna Hausler of Baker Publishing Group; I received no monetary compensation for my honest review.