Stefan’s Promise is a book broken into two separate stories. I enjoyed that the writer was able to separate the story by so many years and keep me connected and interested in the character’s lives.

The story of these two character’s lives felt so real. I forgot I was reading fiction at times and would have to remind myself it wasn’t a memoir! Sam Rennick’s writing was beautiful.

The Characters: Alan and Stefan are the two main characters in Stefan’s Promise. I liked and connected with both characters, but I felt like things were just always going wrong for one of them and right for the other. So, I tended to keep pulling for Alan to have something good happen for him.

The Length: While Sam Rennick’s writing is absolutely amazing and I really did enjoy this book, it is a fairly long one. I think that I would like to see this story broken into two books. There really are two stories here and they could be a book 1 and book 2 of a series.

Overall, this was a well-written, wonderful story. The characters felt real and so did the story.

Readers that enjoy books like The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared and A Man Called Ove would really enjoy this story. If you like books that tell a story of many years, connect you to the characters, and tug at your heartstrings, this one is for you.

Where To Find This Book:
Goodreads | Kindle | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Hugo House

The Vietnam War Changed America. Two Best Friends Weren’t Spared. Only One Was Drafted.

It’s 1968. America is rocked by assassinations, war protests and political upheaval. Alan Young, 21, is brooding over having been dumped by his girlfriend. This won’t last long. His draft notice is in the mail.

Stefan Kopinski isn’t about to let the war get in his way. He spends his days at the mercy of his reckless ambition. When fate steps in, will he finally understand what has been right in front of him for 30 years?

“Stefan’s Promise” is the story of Alan and Stefan. Circumstances part them and sharply diverging temperaments further erode their bond. Yet, Alan and Stefan are wrong in supposing their friendship has ended. It’s just getting started.

• Stefan’s Promise by Sam Rennick
• Genre: Literary Fiction
• Page Count: 546 pages
• Publisher: Hugo House Publishers
• Pub Date: September 3, 2019

Sam Rennick began writing Stefan’s Promise forty years ago, but it wasn’t until fairly recently, when he retired from his law practice that he was able to take his manuscript from its drawer and finish it. He admits he wishes he could say he planned this all along, since the two books comprising the novel, though written many years apart, combine perfectly into a compelling narrative.

While many authors have influenced him, he singles out Somerset Maugham as his muse, observing that Maugham always starts with a good story, but often finds a way to insert that “something extra” separating merely a nice tale from literature. Sam’s interest in books is only exceeded by his love for baseball, which began when he was nine years old.

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I was provided an advanced reader’s copy of this book for free. I am leaving my honest, unbiased review voluntarily.