TYPORAMA
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Inspired by the True Life Story of a B-17 Pilot
On Sale February 8, 2022
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PRAISE FOR A GATHERING OF MEN:
Rona Simmons’ writing is a vehicle of time travel, taking us back to the senses and places of 1940’s North Carolina and the battles of WWII. Vivid, beautiful and heartbreaking, . . . With meticulous research, Simmons weaves fact and fiction into a compelling story of heart, bravery and sacrifice.~ Patti Callahan Henry, author of Surviving Savannah.
Rona Simmons has written a powerhouse of a novel combining the hearts and bonds of men at war with exquisitetechnical accuracy that reads like lightning from a rifle barrel.. . . If you're looking for an ace in the genre of historical fiction, then Simmons is by far your huckleberry.~ Brian Panowich, bestselling Author of Bull Mountain and Hard Cash Valley
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FROM THE PUBLISHER:
A Gathering of Men is a moving work of historical fiction, based on a true story of one B-17 bomber pilot from the legendary 100th Bomb Group in England during World War II. It tells of the shattered dreams and enduring friendship, duty, and honor among the pilots and their air and ground crews. Author Rona Simmons has drawn on her extensive research to create a near seamless line between fact and fiction. She presents the story from the rarely seen perspective of a member of the ground crew, a man who watched as the boys boarded their aircraft for the first time, then returned as men, the terrors they witnessed, and the pressures they endured to go up again and again bringing some to their breaking point. (Koehler Books)
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ABOUT A GATHERING OF MEN:
In brief, the book tells of the shattered dreams and enduring friendship, duty, and honor among the pilots of the 100th Bomb Group and their air and ground crews. The story is presented from the rarely seen perspective of a member of the ground crew, a man who watched as the boys boarded their aircraft for the first time, then returned as men, the terrors they witnessed, and the pressures they endured to go up again and again bringing some to their breaking point.
Candor, North Carolina. Saul Levitt, the town’s barber, brandished a copy of the May 1927 Charlotte Observer in front of his customer’s nose. On the front page, Charles Lindbergh’s Spirit of St. Louis on its cross-country flight. And on the outskirts of town, best friends Lake, Roger, and Jim took turns hurling their improvised, wheeled but wingless crate down a hill, eyes closed, imagining their future alongside Lindy.
Pearl Harbor would change everything, the country, the townspeople, and the boys. They would have their chance to fly, not over North Carolina farm fields, but across Germany on bombing runs to Berlin and Merseburg and Schweinfurt facing a determined Luftwaffe. The odds of completing their tours of duty were slim.
Told from Lake’s perspective, A Gathering of Men is the account of the boys who boarded their aircraft for the first time and the men they became in the blink of an eye. The terrors they witnessed and the pressure to go up again and again and again brought them to their breaking point. It is a moving tale, based on a true story, about shattered dreams and enduring friendship, duty, and honor.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Rona Simmons is an Atlanta-area based author.
Her first published works were novels, and primarily works of historical fiction set in the first half of the last century (these include Postcards from Wonderland and The Quiet Room).
In 2016 she met and befriended WWII veteran and artist Jack Smith. Together they produced the book Images from World War II: The Art of Jack Smith (Cyrilla, 2016) celebrating the art of the nonagenarian. Simmons then followed with The Other Veterans of World War II: Stories from Behind the Front Lines (Kent State University Press, 2020) which was recently awarded a gold medal by the Military Writers Society of America.
For her new book, A Gathering of Men, Simmons combines her interest in the WWII era and her passion for history and research to tell another story with another unique perspective on the war.
This time, the tale is historical fiction, but based on a true story and countless hours spent in the library, online, in interviews, and at our nation’s WWII museum archives.
Simmons is a frequent speaker on WWII and veterans stories. Her stories, articles, and interviews have been published in literary journals and online magazines, and in local newspapers.
On a pro bono basis, Simmons has given her time and expertise to the Georgia Council for the Arts and The Gilmer Arts Council and served as co-director for the Milton Literary Festival.
Simmons currently acts as a contributing writer for two military-related
organizations supporting reading and lifelong learning and preserving veterans’ stories.
Sounds perfect for historical fiction fans.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping.
Sounds good. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteIt does sound good.
DeleteThanks for your comment.