Title: Return to Eden
Author: Richard Taylor
Publisher: URLink Print & Media, LLC
ISBN: 978-1647539337
Pages: 272
Genre: Historical Fiction
Reviewed by: Philip Zozzaro
Hollywood Book Reviews
Josh Armand is a successful shipping magnate contemplating his son Joe taking over the business. Josh should be poised to live out his golden years in relative comfort. However, a discovery from the past by Joe, reminds Josh of the fragility of life and love. Joe is floored to learn of a love of his Father’s life who was not Joe’s mother. Her name was Isabella, she died young and Josh has never truly recovered and is reluctant to discuss her. The worry of the War and possible service moves Josh to give Joe an assignment in Australia, hoping to keep him out of the conflict. Joe performs his tasks admirably and is requested to travel to Manila. He is soon set to walk through his father’s recent history.
The hostilities in Europe and the Pacific are continuing unabated, US neutrality is beginning to look less assured. Luci has Naval blood coursing through her veins, her father serving on the USS Oklahoma at Pearl Harbor. Her Brother is currently serving as well. Luci’s future is suspect at best. She is intent on working for the Red Cross. Despite her father’s wishes, she sets out for Manila. She makes the acquaintance of Joe and a spark has been lit between the two. Destiny links the two as Luci has developed an interest in the life of Isabella. Luci has been having vivid visions of her.
The budding romance between Joe and Luci is scuttled with the surprise attack on the Pearl Harbor base. Manila is targeted by the Japanese, escaping the only viable option. However, individual disasters (bombings, boat sinkings) further strand Luci and Joe. Eventually, the pair get separated and must fight for their individual survival. Little do they know how their circumstances ape the past of Josh and Isabella. The depths of inhumane actions during wartime are seen in technicolor as the invading Japanese soldiers take violent liberties with any and all enemies they see. Once Luci and Joe are reunited, they have become part of a guerilla army fighting for the Allied cause with a ragtag group of locals. Love and luck form just a small part of what they will need to get through the war.
Return to Eden is the second of Richard Taylor’s Eden Trilogy. Joe and Luci possess a stubborn streak that while vexing to their parents endear them to the reader. The pair are both born romantics who come to see the power of fate. A story suffused with the horrors of war, the depth of love, and more than a sprinkling of the spiritual make this as a truly compelling read. All readers of Historical-Fiction will truly enjoy this book.