5-Star Review of Johnnie Come Lately on Readers Favorite! “Reviewer Cheryl E. Rodriguez’s commentary validates the six years it took me to bring this story to life. I am so impressed with the professionalism and quality of her review. This reviewer touches on everything I hold dear. Wow!!”
— Kathleen M. Rodgers www.kathleenmrodger.com
https://readersfavorite.com/book-review/johnnie-come-lately
| Reviewed by Cheryl E. Rodriguez for Readers’ Favorite
Johnnie Come Lately by Kathleen M. Rodgers unveils the world of Johnnie Kitchen. Johnnie comes from a family that is good at keeping secrets. Her mom has been missing for years, and she doesn’t know why? Maybe the statue at Soldier’s Park knows the answer. Or, the bird that calls her name? Always vigilant, Johnnie looks for her mother in every stranger that crosses her path. Moreover, why is her dead uncle’s room a shrine? And why won’t her Grandpa let someone repair the dock? Questions with no answers. As a wife and a mother, Johnnie struggles with her own secrets. She is suffocating in her shame. Ultimately, she spews, dropping an A-bomb on her family. “All the lies, all the secrets, churned in her gut: growing, intensifying, climbing up her insides trying to escape.” Trying to move on, Johnnie finds herself living in two different dimensions: then and now. Kathleen M. Rodgers writes a poignant story in Johnnie Come Lately. Powerful! Beautiful! Heartrending! Through the lives of her characters, Rodgers reveals the joys and burdens of motherhood, the trauma of war, and the ongoing battle of an eating disorder. She depicts the life of her protagonist with sincere realism. The supporting cast of characters brings out the worst and the best of the main character. There were several aspects of the novel I enjoyed. Namely, the symbolism of the statue, the bird, the dock and the painting. Using journal entries was an illuminating technique; they gave insight and flow to the plot. Lastly, the way Rodgers spoke directly to the heart of the reader. Warriors fight, they become battle weary, they lay down their lives for others. Some of the greatest warriors are mothers, they battle worry, fear and regret. They sacrifice all they are for their loved ones. Johnnie Come Lately portrays one woman’s will to overcome life’s tribulations through the power of love and the security of hope. Published by Camel Press www.camelpress.com Represented by Loiacono Literary Agency www.loiaconoliteraryagency.com |
5 Star Review for The Final Salute – Reader’s Favorite
https://readersfavorite.com/book-review/the-final-salute
Reviewed by Michelle Stanley for Readers’ Favorite
The Final Salute is a military fiction by Kathleen Rodgers. Colonel Tuck Westerfield, a fighter pilot at Beauregard Air Force base who flew in the Gulf war, mourns the death of his friend and colleague. His unhappiness rises after catching his Commanding Officer cheating with another officer, as his boss constantly threatens him. Gina, Tuck’s wife, worries about his moodiness, which the neighbor’s dog provokes; and Michelle, her rebellious, gothic-attired stepdaughter who visits. Tuck travels down Memory Lane, reliving his childhood while remembering his friends and colleagues who died courageously, and wonders why life deals such blows. He is assigned to the Middle East after Iraq invades Kuwait and his experiences there make him more determined to consider adjustments to his life if he survives.
Kathleen Rodgers has created an engrossing military fiction appropriately called The Final Salute. She gives a very realistic account of what life is like in the air force, both from those who serve and from their family members’ point of view. It is an intriguing story that has so many emotions as the diverse characters express their joys, fears, pains and sadness in different ways. The author also demonstrated quite nicely how a few military careers may be tarnished and how some scandals or other conflicts are quickly covered up. The Final Salute is a book I did not want to put down, and I think Kathleen Rodgers writes descriptively and with compassion. She shows readers another side of military life in an original and interesting format. Represented by Loiacono Literary Agency www.loiaconoliteraryagency.com Published by Deer Hawk Publications www.deerhawkpublications.com Available where all fine books are sold.