Hi everyone!
Today is my stop on the blog tour for Nobody’s Heroes by Steven Jacob. Thank you to Damppebbles Blog Toursfor allowing me to participate today. Check out my review and let me know what you think!
Reuben Ayers in on the come-up. He makes a deal with Tammany Hall to spy on the African American regiment out of Harlem during World War I. As he works his way into the regiment, befriending Jim Europe, bandleader; and his friend Noble Sissle, he begins to understand the power of altruism. Though too late he realizes that he has sacrificed too much for the wrong thing.
In an effort to repent his betrayal of his people, he sets out on a quest to save the child he did not know he had and to repair the relationships that he sundered during his climb to the political heights. Only through his friendships forged on the battlefield is he able to come to the conclusion that his fight must change if he is to save his soul.
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Review:
Nobody’s Heroes is extremely an extremely well researched novel that taught me some things I didn’t know. Though the main character, Reuben Ayers, is fictional, this story is incredibly accurate, historically.
Told from Ayers’ point of view, we get to see his past and reasons for enlisting, as well as years later, where we learn how guilt stricken he is. I found this switching from past to present very compelling. The dialogue, though unpleasant at times, felt realistic as well.
This story is not fast-paced. It’s much more about the emotional and mental aspects of what was happening during this time period. It’s a powerful story, and if you’re a fan of historical fiction, this is definitely one to check out.
Rating:
4/5☆
*I received a free copy of this book from damppebbles blog tours in exchange for an honest review during the blog tour. All opinions are my own and unbiased.*
Steven Jacob has been writing fiction since he was in the second grade. He earned a B.A. in History from Utah State University and a J.D. in law from Santa Clara University. He has worked as an international corporate attorney for the last ten years.
Earlier this year he independently published a historical fiction novel, Nobody’s Heroes, about the black regiment out of Harlem during World War I, though he has not been given access to sales figures yet. As a gay man with mental illness, he is intensely interested in the stories of minority peoples and their struggles to fight against oppression.
While researching To Save My People he lived in the Raleigh, North Carolina, area where he had access to research and resources related to the history described in the novel. He has also spent thousands of dollars in shipping to get the secondary sources he needed to research his novel to his home in Vietnam.
He is also working on a non-fiction book about the Cherokee’s modern history using online resources. He tries to write some non-fiction based on his fiction projects to get double use from the research. He has published several legal articles and some freelance articles in magazines in Southeast Asia. An article based on events in his previous novel is scheduled to appear in the inaugural issue of Variety Pack, an online journal.
Let me know what you think in the comments. I’d love to interact with you. If this sounds like something you would read, let me know!
Jessica Belmont 
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