Traveling Tuesday: Illinois During WWII

Traveling Tuesday: Illinois During WWII

Bordered by Wisconsin to the north, Iowa and Missouri to the west, Kentucky to the south, and Indiana and Lake Michigan to the east, Illinois is part of the mid-west and the Great Lakes regions. Of the fifty states, Illinois ranks in the exact middle in the size of its area. The state is the sixth largest in population, with nearly sixty-five percent of its residents living in Chicago and the surrounding area. Small industrial cities, extensive agricultural productivity, natural resources such as coal, timber, and petroleum give Illinois a diverse economic base.

Home to Native Americans for thousands of years, the area began to see exploration by the French in the late 1600s, eventually becoming part of New France and La Louisiane. In 1763, the land passed to the Britain after their defeat of France in the Seven Years’ War. To avoid British rule, many French settlers moved west. Exploration continued, and the area became the Illinois territory in 1809. After much discussion that included moving the northern border three times, the territory gained statehood in 1818.

By 1900, Illinois has a population of more than five million people. The Century of Progress World’s Fair was held in Chicago in 1933. Four years later oil strikes in Marion and Crawford Counties led to a boom which shot the state to fourth in U.S. oil production.

Manufacturing in Illinois during WWII was wide and varied. The Pullman Standard Car Company produced landing craft, patrol boats, tanks, cannons, and mortar. Ordnance plants manufactured shells, bombs, and torpedoes. Chemicals were produced by Monsanto, and industrial alcohol used to make smokeless gun powder and synthetic rubber by distilling companies. Nearly a dozen companies were responsible for making radios, radar, and other electronic devices. Textile companies converted to making uniforms, tents, mosquito nettings, boots, and shoes. By all reports, Chicago’s industrial output was second only to Detroit.

Then there was food production. By the middle of 1944, Kraft had shipped over sixty-four million pounds of cheese to the armed services. Canneries were located in Chicago, Hoopeston, and Rochelle. Candy and other foods were produced by the ton and provided to servicemen and women. The state was number one in the production of soybeans, and second in corn, hogs, and cheese.

Airfields covered the state, and the US Naval Station Great Lakes grew from six thousand to sixty-eight thousand recruits. In addition, Glenview was home to the navy’s largest air training facility, and the largest army training facility was located at Camp Ellis. All told, Illinois trained more than two million servicemen. A major transportation hub, the state transported ninety-eight percent of the nation’s military on its railroads.

Nearly one million men and women served in uniform with approximately 17,000 giving the ultimate sacrifice.

A big state with a big heart for service.

_________________________

A secret mission. A fake bride. A run for their lives.

According to the OSS training manual, the life expectancy of a radio operator in Nazi-occupied France is six weeks. Partnered with one of the agency’s top spies, Gerard Lucas, newly-minted agent Emily Strealer plans to beat those odds. Then their cover is blown and all bets are off.

The border to neutral Switzerland is three hundred miles away—a long way to run with SS soldiers on their heels.

Will Emily and Gerard survive the journey?

And what about their hearts? Nothing in the manual prepared them for falling in love.

Pre-order link: https://amzn.to/2vVSUqg

Talkshow Thursday: Welcome Wendy Wilson Spooner

Talkshow Thursday: Welcome Wendy Wilson Spooner!

Linda:  Thanks for joining me today. Congratulations on the release of your debut novel Once Upon an Irish Summer. What was your inspiration for the story?

Wendy: I still catch my breath when I think of the trip to Ireland I took with my parents and husband a few years ago. It was while exploring the original estate connected to my Irish ancestors that the seed sprouted to write about Allen Hamilton, the oldest son of my 3^rd great grandfather.

LM: The age old question for writers – are you a planner or a “pantster,” and what is your favorite part of the writing process?

Wendy: I started out as a pantster. Now I write with a loose outline I learned called “Story Beats” designed by Ara Grigorian and Janis Thomas, creators of the Novel Intensive Writer’s Workshop in Southern California. I’ve written seven chapters in two days with this method, which I highly recommend.

LM: In addition to your fiction, you’ve also written lots of nonfiction. What do you do differently for the two genres? The same?

Wendy: Nonfiction is totally different for me because I’ve never written anything lengthy of that genre. But I write from my heart for nonfiction, even when I’m writing a professional article for the field of Genetic Genealogy, my other day job, which requires a lot of citations and a more cerebral approach..

LM: What do you do to prepare yourself for writing? (e.g., listen to music? Go to a certain place in your home?)

Wendy: I grab my favorite snacks, water, comfy clothes, and a blanket and whatever else I need to hunker down for hours.

LM: Research is an important part of writing, especially historic fiction (and you’re a professional researcher!). Did you discover any “aha” sort of tidbit(s) that you knew you want to include in Once Upon an Irish Summer?

Wendy: Oh my, yes. SO many tidbits. When researching a historical figure that left behind fifteen boxes of papers and letters, as well as a legacy left in who his descendants became, I had quite a job in honoring the main historical character and his family--in sticking to actual history and filling in the many blanks. That’s why Once Upon an Irish Summer took three years to write!

LM: Here are some quickies:

Wendy:

Favorite childhood book: The Magic Summer by Noel Streatfield. Funny that it takes place in Ireland in the Summer! Hmm, was I influenced much?

Favorite food: Ice cream. Does that count as a food?? I think it DOES.

Favorite vacation place: Disneyland

LM: What is your next project?

Wendy: The next book in the series! This story is a continuation of the present-day main characters, and in the historical timeline, it goes back in time to the little sister who was left behind in Ireland when her favorite brother set off for America.

LM: Where can folks find you on the web?

Wendy:

Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Wendy-Wilson-Spooner/e/B084BPSQH4?ref_=dbs_p_pbk_r00_abau_000000

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/wendyspooner/

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/authorWendyWilsonSpooner/?modal=admin_todo_tour

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/wendy.w.spooner

Author Website https://wendywilsonspooner.com/

Professional Genetic Genealogy Site https://knowmyroots.com/

About Once Upon an Irish Summer:

Two teenagers, two centuries, one city.

1817 Ireland: Allen Hamilton crosses the Atlantic alone to find a way to save his family from imminent financial and social ruin before it's too late. Instead, he is met with prejudice, sickness, and starvation.

2018 Fort Wayne, Indiana: A gift young artist struggles with debilitating grief after a sudden death in her family. When she unearths Allen Hamilton's noble rise from rags to riches in Antebellum America, their shared connection inspires her own healing and renewed inspiration.

Based on a 200-year-old letter collection, Once Upon an Irish Summer brings to life and weaves together this true story of romance, mystery, and hope.

Pre-Order Link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B082LWVX3H

Wartime Wednesday: Censorship During WWII

Wartime Wednesday: Censorship During WWII

The Office of Censorship was a wartime agency set up during the weeks following the attack on Pearl Harbor in December, 1941 with Executive Order 8985. Chartered with the mission to protect sensitive war information, the organization walked a fine line to maintain constitutional freedoms. Executive News Editor at the Associated Press, Byron Price was appointed under the condition he would report directly to President Roosevelt. A Censorship Policy Board was created to advise the director on policy coordination and the integration of censorship activities.

Issued by the Office of War Information on January 15, 1942, the “Code of Wartime Practices for the American Press” gave strict instructions on the handling of news. Surprisingly, the manual was quite short: only seven pages for broadcasters and five for the print press, and explained in simple terms the subjects that contained information considered valuable to the enemy, which therefore shouldn’t be published or broadcast in the U.S. without authorization by a qualified government source. Sensitive topics included factory production figures, troop movements, damage to American forces, and weather reports.

During Director Price’s tenure, the responsibility for censorship was entirely on the journalists, depending heavily on patriotism and voluntary cooperation. At one point, there was discussion about merging his office with the Office of War Information, but he was able to prevent the action, believing that a merger would prevent the public from receiving truthful information.

Great Britain, Canada, and the U.S. signed an agreement providing for the complete exchange of information among all concerned parties and created a central clearinghouse of information within the headquarters of the Office of Censorship. In early 1942, Army and Navy personnel engaged in censorship responsibilities were transferred to the Office of Censorship where they monitored the more than 350,000 overseas cables/telegrams and 35,000 international telephone calls. Offices in LA, NYC, and Rochester, NY reviewed films.

The official closure of the Office didn’t come until November 1945, but the day after the Japanese surrender on August 14, 1945, Director Price is said to have hung a sign on his office door that read Out Of Business.

______________________

A secret mission. A fake bride. A run for their lives.

According to the OSS training manual, the life expectancy of a radio operator in Nazi-occupied France is six weeks. Partnered with Gerard Lucas, one of the agency's top spies, newly-minted agent Emily Strealer plans to beat those odds. Then their cover is blown and all bets are off. The border to neutral Switzerland is three hundred miles away-a long way to run with SS soldiers on their heels.

Will Emily and Gerard survive the journey and get home?

And what about their hearts? Nothing in the manual prepared them for falling in love.

Pre-order Link: http://amazon.com/dp/B086696351

Talkshow Thursday: Welcome Back Eric Landfried

Talkshow Thursday: Welcome Back Eric Landfried

Linda:  Welcome back. It’s such a pleasure to have you. When we last spoke, you were working on the sequel to Solitary Man. Can you tell us a little bit about the story line and have you come up with a title yet?

Eric: Unfortunately, I don’t have a title yet. I’ve never been good at titling my work despite all the imagination I pour into the stories. The title Solitary Man came to me one day when I heard Johnny Cash’s version of Neil Diamond’s song. I thought it fit Doyle, but not necessarily the story. During the publishing process, I wanted to change it, but my editor Daphne convinced me to keep it by pointing out other elements of “solitary men” in the story. I’d like to title the sequel with the same theme so it will probably be something like _____ Man. I just have to find the right adjective!

The story line picks up with Doyle seeking answers to the cryptic statements made by Morris the one-armed man, but his journey becomes more than he bargained for as he comes to faith in Christ through the things Jonathan taught him as well as the guidance of a family of Appalachian hillbillies. 

As circumstances make him continue his travels, he discovers a dystopian society that rose to power after the war where the only legal religion is led by a fraudulent, hypocritical televangelist named Gideon Grey. He meets Gabe, a Christian running an illegal church/shelter to help the poor and give them the Gospel and he also runs into a resistance, led by the charismatic Damien, that battles against the government. This leaves Doyle with the choice of what kind of man he wants to be as grapples with the mission and purpose of his newfound faith versus his desire to help overthrow an oppressive government. There’s plenty more going on, and all the questions my readers have will be answered, but anything more might have me dropping spoilers!

LM: How much of yourself do you write into your main characters?

Eric: My wife says she sees me in both Doyle and Jonathan, so I guess I do that at least a little bit. When I’m writing a Christian character, I typically infuse them with my worldview unless the story calls for them to hold some different views I would disagree with (i.e. Jonathan’s pacifism). I think in the future I’ll probably be more conscious of that because I don’t want all my Christian characters to be carbon copies of me. That would get really boring after a while.

LM: What is your main character’s “kryptonite?”

Eric: In Solitary Man, Doyle was a hard man, full of pride and lacking in compassion. His experiences there have softened him to the point where he gladly receives the Gospel, and now in the sequel, he struggles with the changes in heart and attitude that come with being a new believer. He wants to follow Christ and love his neighbor, but he’s tempted to help the resistance fighters battle their government oppressors. As a new believer, figuring out what God would want from him and being willing to obey that regardless of what he’s feeling is one of his greatest struggles.

LM: Solitary Man adds a Christian element to a post-apocalyptic story. How closely did you weave biblical end times prophecies or did you strictly use your imagination?

Eric: I didn’t write it with any eschatology in mind. That was a deliberate choice I made since there are different views on the end times and I wanted to make the book as universally appealing as possible. So all the Christians in the world I created are still looking forward to that day when Christ returns in glory and makes all things new. The very end of the sequel will leave things open for a possible third book, but I haven’t thought that far yet. Since I haven’t yet ruled out anything as a potential plot, it’s possible the end times could play a part in that one.

LM: What was your favorite book or author when you were growing up?

(Photo: Thorsten Frenzel/Pixabay)

Eric: I had a series of illustrated, abridged classics that I loved to read growing up. My favorite of the authors was Mark Twain, but I also loved reading Charles Dickens, Rudyard Kipling, Robert Louis 

Stevenson, Herman Melville, and others. Thanks to my Prime account, there are tons of classics free for Kindle, so lately I’ve been revisiting many of them through the unabridged versions. I’m currently reading Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver's Travels.

LM: Here are some quickies:

Eric:

Favorite Season: Definitely fall. The temperature outside is perfect, and since I live in New England, the hills come alive with amazing color when the leaves begin to turn. The temperature is nice in the spring as well, but all the budding trees trigger my hay fever, so fall gets the Best Season award in my book.

Favorite Bible verse: I think I’ll have to slightly cheat here since my favorite verse is actually verses. Scripture as a whole is a wonderful, amazingly cohesive collection of wisdom and truth, and I love every word, but the one passage that constantly moves me is the glorious hope revealed in Romans 8, a chapter that begins with this profound statement: There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. And it only gets better the further you read. There are so many incredible truths and promises declared here that we should be weeping with gratitude once we truly meditate on what they mean.

(Photo: egowkand on Pixabay)

Favorite place to visit: Ever since I was a toddler, my extended family on my dad’s side has been vacationing in Holden Beach, NC every summer. I have so many terrific memories from decades of vacations, that Holden Beach holds a really special place in my heart. Due to work and other things, I don’t get down there as much as I used to, but when I do, the smell of that salty ocean air triggers something in me. I think it’s because it means family to me.

LM: What is your next project?

Eric: I’m close to finishing the first draft of Solitary Man’s sequel. Once I do that, I’ll take a short break before I start editing and rewriting to maybe line up some other projects. Doyle’s story is hopeful, but there’s also a grimness to it that makes me want to work on something lighter, so I’m leaning toward an idea I have for a science fiction satire that will show off my sense of humor and love for absurd comedy like Monty Python. We’ll see what happens.

LM: Where can folks find you on the web?

Eric: They can visit my website ericlandfried.com where I have signed copies of Solitary Man for sale. They can also find me on Facebook at Eric Landfried, Author and my Twitter handle is @e_landfried. I’m also on Instagram @ericlandfried, but I’m more active on FB and Twitter. Please connect! I’d love to hear from you!

About Solitary Man:

Ten years after a brutal war, cannibals and humans fight over the pieces of a hardscrabble existence.

Former Navy SEAL Doyle has been prowling the broken remnants of a devastated America for years. Alone in an armored bus loaded with weapons and supplies, he's grateful for his solitude. Being alone makes it easier to survive, as others can become a liability in the end of the world. But when a particularly brutal attack leaves Doyle in need of fuel and repair, he has no choice but to venture into the nearest settlement.

Jonathan has been pastoring a small church of Christians in that same settlement, but when he meets Doyle he sees an opportunity to expand his ministry. Cannibals have kept everyone from traveling, but Doyle's armored transport and weapons bring hope to his small band of followers. The two men strike up a mutually beneficial bargain, but neither of them realizes that this journey will change them in ways they could never have imagined.

As they search for other believers, they must battle cannibals, militant atheists, and a mysterious super soldier. Doyle's unbelief and Jonathan's faith will collide in this action-packed wasteland.

Purchase Link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B07ML67ZQN

Traveling Tuesday: North Dakota Does Its Bit

Traveling Tuesday: North Dakota

Bordering Canada on the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south, and Montana to the west, North Dakota is approximately three-quarters the size of the United Kingdom. Considered part of the Great Plains, the state’s greatest resource is soil, with wheat grown in nearly every county. The state also has huge mineral deposits.

Primarily populated by Native Americans until the mid-1800s, North Dakota finally began to see white settlers by 1870. A mere twenty years later there were nearly 200,000 farmers and ranchers. By the time World War II began over 600,000 people called the state home.

In addition to sending her young men overseas to combat, North Dakota was the location of four major air bases: Fargo, Bismark, Minot, and Grand Forks, and several smaller facilities. Many of the air fields became municipal airports after the war, while others were torn down and returned to agriculture.

Fort Lincoln Internment Camp in Bismark housed over 4,000 Japanese, Italians, and Germans captured in US waters in April 1941. After the war started, the camp was turned over to the Department of Justice and expanded to make room for US civilians of Japanese and German descent who were arrested on suspicion of fifth column activity.

Perhaps the greatest contribution made by the state was education. Colleges and universities experienced huge drops in enrollment as young men enlisted and were drafted by the armed forces. As a way to help themselves and the war effort, the institutions picked up training programs that educated soldiers and sailors. Coursework included navigation, Morse code, and aerology. Pilot training programs included both ground and flight training, teaching them to land in many different conditions. During the winter months, the planes’ landing wheels were replaced with skis.

Of the more than 60,000 North Dakotans who served, approximately 2,000 gave their lives.

___________________________

Allison White should be thrilled about her upcoming wedding. The problem? She’s still in love with her fiancé, Chaz, who was declared dead after being shot down over Germany in 1944. Can she put the past behind her and settle down to married life with the kindhearted man who loves her?

It’s been two years since Charles “Chaz” Powell was shot down over enemy territory. The war is officially over, but not for him. He has amnesia as a result of injuries sustained in the crash, and the only clue to his identity is a love letter with no return address. Will he ever regain his memories and discover who he is, or will he have to forge a new life with no connections to the past?

Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/2Q0dIng

Release Day! A Love Not Forgotten

Release Day! A Love Not Forgotten

A Love Not Forgotten was formerly published in CelebrateLit's Let Love Spring collection. If you've not read it, now is your chance to order this companion story to Love's Harvest. Here's a bit about the book:

Allison White should be thrilled about her upcoming wedding. The problem? She’s still in love with her fiancé, Chaz, who was declared dead after being shot down over Germany in 1944. Can she put the past behind her and settle down to married life with the kindhearted man who loves her?

It’s been two years since Charles “Chaz” Powell was shot down over enemy territory. The war is officially over, but not for him. He has amnesia as a result of injuries sustained in the crash, and the only clue to his identity is a love letter with no return address. Will he ever regain his memories and discover who he is, or will he have to forge a new life with no connections to the past?

Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/38i9aPL

Pick up your copy today!

Talkshow Thursday: Welcome Suzanne Bratcher

Talkshow Thursday: Welcome Suzanne Bratcher

Linda:  Welcome thanks for joining me today. As a history lover, I’m intrigued that you write contemporary stories with historic roots. What was your inspiration for your most recent release The Silver Lode?

Suzanne: The story is set in Jerome, Arizona: billion-dollar copper camp. A real town, Jerome sprang up in the Mingus Mountains as a copper mining camp in 1876. By the 1920s it was the fifth largest city in Arizona with a population of 15,000. When Phelps-Dodge closed the last copper mine in 1953, it dwindled until it was a ghost town.

LM: How do you come up with your characters? Are they based on any real people in your life?

Suzanne: My characters come out of the setting I’m working with. In The Silver Lode the three main characters carry over from my first Jerome book, The Copper Box. The characters that create the plot in The Silver Lode are all fictional descendants of people who might have lived in Jerome in the 1940s.

LM: Research is an important part of writing. What sort of research did you do for The Silver Lode?

Jerome, AZ
(photo by Tom Kranz, Pixabay)

Suzanne: I visited Jerome dozens of time over the thirty years I lived in Flagstaff, Arizona. The Jerome State Historic Park drew me in numerous times with its informative exhibits and films. At the Jerome Historical Society I paged through old newspapers and letters. I relied on three books: Herbert V. Young’s The Ghosts of Cleopatra Hill and They Came to Jerome as well as a compilation of essays edited by Aliza Caillou, Experience Jerome and the Verde Valley: Legends and Legacies. Of course, the internet filled in gaps. Visits to mines in Colorado gave me the feel of being down inside a mine.

LM: You’ve written fiction and nonfiction. Do you approach the two genres differently? The same?

Suzanne: When I  write nonfiction, I begin with a problem and research as many solutions as I can unearth. Then I sift through them to identify the most practical ideas. When I write fiction, I begin with a place I love and have visited many times. Then I turn my imagination loose and visualize characters and conflicts that could occur only in that setting. With nonfiction I work from a structured outline. With fiction I sketch a 3-act plot and alternate between freewriting and scene structure.

LM: If money were no object, where is your idea of the ultimate vacation?

Suzanne: I’ve always wanted to visit New Zealand. I’d love to find a special town and spend a couple of months really getting to know the people and culture and maybe even invent a story!

LM: Quickies:

Suzanne:

Favorite childhood book: Black Beauty

Drink of choice: Coffee, tea, or soft drink: Coffee

Would you rather walk, bicycle, or drive a car: Walk

LM: What is your next project?

Jerome, AZ
(photo Kate McGahan, Pixabay)

Suzanne: I’m working on the third book in the Jerome mysteries: The Gold Doubloons. A contemporary story following the same main characters, the roots of the plot are in the historical fact that Coronado came through the Verde Valley on his search for the Seven Cities of Gold and a local legend that the Spaniards left behind a cache of gold coins hidden on Cleopatra Hill.

LM: Where can folks find you on the web?

Suzanne:

Got to my website at https://suzannebratcher.com. Sign up there for my quarterly newsletter Storyteller and my blog Suzanne’s Scribbles. Find me on Facebook at https://facebook.com/authorsuzannebratcher/. Follow me on Amazon at https://amzn.to/2PdHZ1L

About The Silver Lode: 

Beneath the ghost town that clings to Cleopatra Hill, a maze of abandoned mine tunnels conceals a vein of silver ore mixed with pure gold. Seventy years ago the discovery of that silver lode caused a murder? Are more coming?

Historian Paul Russell is about to lose his job and the woman he loves, so he doesn't have time to search for the legendary silver lode. But when a student drops a seventy-year-old cold case on his desk, a murder connected to the silver lode, the mystery offers Paul the perfect opportunity to work with Marty Greenlaw and win her back.

As Paul and Marty search for the silver lode, suspicious deaths begin to happen. When Paul's son disappears, the stakes become personal. Will Paul and Marty solve the mystery of the silver lode in time to rescue Scott? Will they survive to grow into a future different from what any of them dreamed?

Purchase Link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B07XQH7FXH

Traveling Tuesday: The West Indies During WWII

Traveling Tuesday:  The West Indies During WWII

Photo: Wikipedia

The West Indies is a region of the North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean that includes the island countries and surrounding waters of three major archipelagos: the Greater Antilles, the Lesser Antilles, and the Lucayan Archipelago (Wikipedia). Countries include Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao, Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, Bahamas, Turks and Caicos, Cayman Islands, Antigua, Barbuda, Guadalupe, St. Kitts and Nevis, Virgin Islands, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, and many others.

Because of these islands’ location, they were the “forward edge” of the American defense strategy, a relationship formalized in the Panama Declaration of 1939. Held on September 23, the meeting entailed discussions about neutrality, economic concerns, and the maintenance of peace in the area. The Declaration banned belligerent submarines from entering their ports, demanded the cessation of subversive activities within their countries, and formed a maritime security zone which extended over 300 nautical miles on either side of the American continent.

More than half of the supplies sent to Europe and Africa from the US were shipped from ports in the Gulf of Mexico and passed through the Caribbean. German U-boats were active in the area during the first two years of the war with over 300 ships sunk. As a result, the US Caribbean Defense Command was formed, sending nearly 120,000 personnel to protect the islands and the Panama Canal.

Caribbean Regiment
(Photo: Imperial War Museum)

Haiti declared neutrality, but gave food and supplies to Allied forces. The country also hosted a detachment of the US Coast Guard. Five members of the Haitian Air Force volunteered and were integrated into the Tuskegee Airmen division of the US military. Over 10,000 men from the various Caribbean islands traveled to England to volunteer for the Armed Forces. Some managed to enlist in the British Navy, but as in the United States, Britain was not ready for an integrated military. In response, Britain created the Caribbean Regiment that was deployed to the Middle East and Italy. Another detachment of the regiment was trained at Fort Eustis, Virginia then sent to North Africa.

_____________________________

A Love Not Forgotten:

Allison White should be thrilled about her upcoming wedding. The problem? She’s still in love with her fiancé, Chaz, who was declared dead after being shot down over Germany in 1944. Can she put the past behind her and settle down to married life with the kindhearted man who loves her?

It’s been two years since Charles “Chaz” Powell was shot down over enemy territory. The war is officially over, but not for him. He has amnesia as a result of injuries sustained in the crash, and the only clue to his identity is a love letter with no return address. Will he ever regain his memories and discover who he is, or will he have to forge a new life with no connections to the past?

Pre-order Link: https://amzn.to/38i9aPL