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(More customer reviews)I would imagine every soldier who goes off to war has lingering doubts as to whether they are good enough. They also have concerns about those they have left behind. To top it all off those in war see sights the rest of us never dream of in our worst nightmares and many are never able to forget them. Dr. Perry Trouche, a psychiatrist from Charleston, South Carolina, has written a quick moving story dealing with these issues in his fictionalized account of a Confederate soldier whose regiment is on their way to Spotsylvania.
Connor Dumont is the newbie who is often picked upon by veteran soldiers. Characters (voices in his head) from his past including Grandma Mamere who berates him and constantly tells him he's not brave enough or good enough, Ezekiel the slave who condemns him for being a slaveholder, and others show up on a regular basis. As Connor loses friends and fellow soldiers in battle they too end up in his mind gnawing away to what sanity is left. Many times these voices battle for space in Connor's mind all looking to exert influence over him. Connor survives and begins working towards normalcy all the while changed due to the horrors he has witnessed and participated in.
The Civil War was not pretty and Dr. Trouche does not attempt to mask the violence. Soldiers are killed and their deaths are not sugar coated. This is how it should be. If you are going to write a war-time story tell it like it was. Overall I found Dr. Trouche to write engagingly and the book flowed well. The speech worked for me and sounded realistic.
For me however this story really could have been any war and Connor transported in time. For whatever reason I didn't really get a "Civil War vibe" out of the book. I can't put my finger on why however. Maybe it's because the main focus is on the lead character rather than the war itself.
A couple of small issues I noted...There were times when I found it difficult to keep track of what was real vs. what was being played out in Connor's head. I found myself on occasion rereading sections to make sure I understood what was happening. Maybe putting the sections that are in Connor's head in italics would make it easier for readers. On a picky note there are some spelling and grammatical errors spread throughout that could have been picked up during the editing process. And for me what I really didn't understand was why in a book dealing with Spotsylvania is the cover photo "Confederate Soldiers after the Battle of Gettysburg". It's a great Matthew Brady photo but it seems a bit out of place. I suppose though casual reader would not even notice such or care one way or the other.
While not the best work of fiction I have read this is a story that moves along well. The writing is enjoyable and accessible. Dr. Trouche creates atmosphere nicely. You are not going to learn anything about the Civil War here but that's not the point as I see it. You will however be entertained and that is the point. Overall a good read and recommended for times when you don't want anything too involved.
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A TIME MACHINE COULD TAKE US NO CLOSER!Synopsis of The Mule Shoe by Perry TroucheGive a nearsighted child glasses for the first time and what you'll hear immediately is "I can see the leaves". This sudden clarity strikes the protagonist Conner DuMont in the final chapter of The Mule Shoe but it comes with a price. The dogma, promises and tradition of the past are gone. He can no longer go on doing things the way they have always been done. With this change comes awareness of his conformity and acquiescence to a society built on evil.The Mule Shoe is Conner's journey through his subconscious that takes him, past and present, through beliefs and memories to final acceptance of a new era built on truth. The trauma of the horror of combat hastens the process. Like the peeling of an onion causing tears, Conner's gradual descent into his mind unleashes emotions that overwhelm reality.The story is set at the battle of Spotsylvania, Virginia, in 1864 during the American Civil War, but Conner's mental journey encompasses his childhood on the sea islands of South Carolina, the recent death of his cousin for which he blames himself, and the fantasy of life through the eyes of the common soldiers he meets.He struggles to stay in the present but death, and the fear surrounding it, propel him into a dream world of memories, real and imagined. His day to day reality is increasingly bombarded with hallucinations in which the significant people of his past and present deliver a running commentary on his life.As the combat worsens at the Muleshoe Salient, he is unable to differentiate reality from delusion. He creates a world of calming touch to replace the insanity of war, readily embracing the delusion of soothing affection to overcome mind numbing savagery. The final acts of killing sever his last tie to his prior life. He retreats physically from battle as he wanders mentally in search of acceptance and peace.As he has learned to kill in reality, he finds he must do the same in his delusional world. The power to kill is the evil on which his world has been built. The final act of killing a childhood friend is so repugnant that it frees him from all attachment to his past. He accepts peace as he would use clear, cold water to rinse an open wound. Hope for life and peace replaces the misery of war.The Mule Shoe is twenty-four chapters, half of which are in the present, June 1864, and half, flashbacks and fantasy. The historical accuracy has been well researched and the emotional journey based on the author's extensive experience as a psychiatrist.
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