Praise for What We Say in the Dark
What We Say in the Dark opens in 1939, where Parisian boy Anton is reflecting on his involvement in freeing his wife Isabelle’s family from the grip of the Nazis in Vienna.
From the story’s opening lines Gary Baysinger demonstrates an astute ability to capture the atmosphere of the looming Nazi incursion in a realistic manner that allows modern-day readers to step right into social and political milieus of the past: Although he’d never been here before, the contrasts were jarring—the incongruity of Nazi banners layered over cafés with cultured people wearing the latest Parisian fashions. It had the sophistication of Paris but had been overtaken by angry young men who were aggressive and edgy. Something was in the air—a mood, a feeling of being watched by something evil waiting to strike, waiting for someone to make a mistake.
From the irony of crimes being committed by Nazis who purport to be stopping them to how Anton’s subterfuge is discovered and a strange job arrangement is proposed as his only way out of danger, Baysinger builds a compelling story. It evolves complexity and drama as it continues to grow in unexpected directions with the introduction of American spy Don Gibson, who is injected into European affairs.
Another notable facet of Baysinger’s story lies in its explorations of lives that adjust to and transcend political hazards. Baysinger’s juxtaposition of history, Jewish affairs, family ties, and Nazi threat come together with a satisfyingly original light of discovery and revelation rarely found in other fictional accounts of these times.
The tale’s shift to a milieu in which Isabelle and U.S Army Intelligence Officer Don Gibson meet under unexpected circumstances in Lisbon, where Isabelle’s shadowy past emerges to impact her future, adds a full flavor of development. This approach benefits from the time Baysinger has taken to build social and psychological insights from the Nazis’ rise in 1940s Europe.
From Don’s connections to the spy business in 1944 to his participation in a dangerous game in which Isabelle is a major player, the story is heartily fueled with past and present observations from all characters. These capture vibrant and especially thought-provoking moments of revelation as Isabelle observes her beloved world changing for the worse and works to revise her place in it: Her fellow Viennese citizens sat in outdoor cafés, chatting and drinking coffee as people’s lives were being destroyed. She wanted to scream at them. She was full of despair—her Vienna was gone.
The timelines move back and forth. This may stymie readers who look for a progressive timetable of action, but the story’s shifting pathways draw important connections this way, giving the saga added value with a flavor of understanding and connection reinforced by this fluid movement.
Libraries seeking a spy story that embraces individual and social conundrums, weaves romantic interests and family involvements into bigger-picture thinking, and creates a vivid, thoroughly engrossing story in the process will find What We Say in the Dark an important recommendation for a wide audience.
From book clubs interested in fostering debates about how political repression impacts personal relationships and choices to readers seeking outstanding characterization that makes the story’s spy component more realistic and believable than most, What We Say in the Dark is a compelling, thought-provoking page-turner.
- Diane Donovan, Editor, Donovan’s Literary Services
“Rose, born and bred English, finds camaraderie and love with Sebastian, a German, in a world sweetly unaware that the Great War is about to erupt. As fate, or chance, steps in, the story's perfect sense of place and fine characterization take hold. Excellent historical fiction.”
James Conroyd Martin, author of The Poland Trilogy.
Praise for A Kind of Homecoming
A Kind of Homecoming was selected as a First Place Winner for Chanticleer International Book Awards Shorts program. The Short Story Awards recognize emerging talent and outstanding works in Short Prose, Novellas, and Collections.
Fans of historical romance novels will welcome A Kind of Homecoming's special flavor of attraction as a physical and mental collision experienced by would-be nurse Rose Maddox leads to love amid the rise of world political conflict.
The setting is 1913 England, where Rose literally is swept off her feet by young German Sebastian, who shares many of her passions and dreams. The world is their oyster—until it is not, with the rising drums of war reinforcing their differences and proving an obstacle to any relationship dreams each may have harbored.
As Rose throws herself into the rigors of being an Army nurse, cleaning up after the infantry's battles, she can't help but wonder how the pain and suffering she witnesses fit into the beliefs and ideals she once held: "She wondered how this fit in with God’s master plan."
Gary Baysinger creates a bittersweet story of shifting relationships set against the backdrop of World War I. Sebastian, too, is worn down and defeated as he participates in the war in a very different way. Baysinger is particularly adept at capturing the blows to soldiers experience that marks their perceptions of possibilities for a non-combatant future:
“It should’ve been me. If I hadn’t stopped to help Hans, I would have been right where Gerd was. If I had told him to wait, he’d be here, and I’d be out there.” He croaked out the words, “I think I got him killed.” He sobbed for a few seconds before rubbing his eyes with the backs of his hands. “I’m sorry, I can’t do this anymore. The lives we’re living, the things we say and do, they’re like words in a book that will never be read. Nobody will ever understand the things we’ve seen.”
Vivid and immediate in its contrast of different lives buffeted by the choices and ideals of the times, A Kind of Homecoming captures the challenges felt by all kinds of individuals who traverse war and peace with hopes for the future and questions about their participation, identities, and abilities.
From issues of patriotism and opportunity to confrontations with the "lottery of fate" that transforms dreams and dreamers alike, A Kind of Homecoming represents a vivid story of war and transformation that will appeal to libraries and readers seeking succinct yet powerful explorations of World War I's impact on individual ambitions.
- Midwest Book Review
Praise for Margaret’s Last Prayer
The Hemingway Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works for 20th Century Wartime Fiction. The Hemingway Book Awards is a division of the Chanticleer Book Awards. Margaret’s Last Prayer was selected as a Finalist for the Hemingway Book Awards.
Fourteen-year-old Margaret Laemmer's path crossed with two gypsy boys in a daring rescue. Little did she know that it would set a chain of events spanning generations in motion. As a reward for her selfless act, Margaret receives a pair of amulets from the boys' grateful mother, promising good fortune for those who possess them.
Years later, as Margaret's sons set out on their journeys, she passes down the amulets to them, instilling her deep longing for family unity into these precious talismans. The amulets become more than just trinkets - they become carriers of hope, love, and the desire for reunion.
In a twist of fate, as the world is engulfed in the turmoil of the Second World War, two soldiers from opposing sides find themselves on the banks of the Elbe River in Germany. Unbeknownst to them, they bear identical amulets, forever linking their destinies. These amulets passed down through generations, hold the power to bridge divides and bring loved ones back together.
Margaret’s Last Prayer – A Soldier’s Heart is a captivating tale of courage, fate, and the enduring bonds that transcend time. Experience the magic of the amulets as they weave their way through history, reminding us of the strength of the human spirit and the power of hope.
Gary Baysinger's writing style is unforgettable, leaving a lasting impression on everyone who reads his work. Get ready to be enthralled by this incredible tale that keeps you turning the pages until the end. - Midwest Book Review
An intriguing book, full of historical facts, delving into the consciences and coincidences of one family and the effects of war.
In Alsace, in the late 1700s, fourteen-year-old Margaret Laemmer is an accomplished swimmer. She also cares about her fellow human beings. When she sees that two children are about to drown, she jumps into a rapidly moving current and saves them. It doesn't matter that these children are part of a gypsy caravan. The mother of these children is so grateful to Margaret that she gives her two matching amulets, promising that these will somehow save her family and/or her descendants. Little does she know what a prescient prediction this will be.
As her family grows, she decides to whom the amulets will be given, and they are then passed on to members of future generations. Some of her descendants travel to the United States; the U.S. Civil War takes place. World War I happens, followed by World War II. Margaret's descendants find themselves participating in these horrible conflicts. Several have dreams or visions of Margaret in her farm house; some have other dreams of visions of violence being perpetrated on or by family members.
I found this book to be fascinating for a number of reasons. First, the historical context in which it is presented is accurate as far as I can tell. It explains the fact that the Germans annexed Alsace, which had been a predominantly French-speaking country and prohibited its inhabitants from speaking French. During the world wars, Germany conscripted men from Alsace, even though the Alsacians considered themselves not to be part of Germany. This fighting for Germany--a country to which they did not feel patriotic duty--stirred major conflict in so many men, especially under Hitler and the Third Reich. This book explores the inner thoughts of two of Margaret's descendants, one of whom fights on the American side of World War II, the other, a conscript who had wanted nothing to do with the Nazi movement, who fights for the Germans. The way each handles the deaths of their comrades is similarly devastating and takes an enormous toll of each, psychologically and physically.
Secondly, this book demonstrates the bonds a family has, no matter how far away from home they go, no matter under what circumstances they must survive, and no matter what their status in life is. Their traditions remain constant; they never forget where their roots are, right down to the small things, such as how long one should leave up their Christmas tree.
Finally, this book explores the horrors of war without sugar-coating any of it. It presents the stark realism of the toll war takes, not just in terms of fatalities, but what it does to the young men who survive, whether with physical or emotional wounds. The author pulls no punches when describing what the young men endure, and the nightmares that follow as a result.
As I see people try to "change history" to meet their own political needs, I would recommend that those same people read books such as this one. It's a lesson not only in history, but also in geography, psychology, and so many other things important to the human spirit.
- Reedsy Discovery