Fiction Friday

Night of the Cossack

by Tom Blubaugh

I love when I can recommend a book wholeheartedly, and today's Fiction Friday spotlights just such a one. Read on to see how you can win a copy for yourself.

Night of the Cossack is a compelling adventure by Tom Blubaugh about a teenager who is forced to grow up quickly during tumultuous events in the early 1900s in Russia. Young Nathan Hertzfield faces many life or death situations throughout the book. Join him on his perilous and exhilarating journey through parts of Russia and Europe, and find out how he eventually emigrates to America. The story is based loosely on the life of the author's grandfather. Adventure, suspense, and warmth make it a riveting story.

This is one of those reads that works for all ages, young and old (beginning, I'd say, for ages nine and up). For slower readers, age eleven or thereabouts. If you have a reluctant young reader, the opening is explosive enough to keep anyone turning pages. And, if you homeschool or teach in a classroom, the book even has companion lesson plans. (It is so obviously a great pick for educators that I was deeply satisfied to find this out.)

Here's the five-star review I left on Amazon:

Night of the Cossack is an exceptionally well-written historical tale. Blubaugh's clean, tight prose moves along at a clipping pace and the elements of great fiction are all here: high stakes, peril, uncertainty, as well as the coming-of-age of a young Jewish man whose life is torn apart by societal upheaval in early 19th century Russia. The book brings history to life through the eyes of its young male protagonist and ends on just the right note of hope, making it a perfect pick for teachers and educators looking for worthwhile fiction for young people. Readers of any age will enjoy this, but I think middle-school teachers should grab this book and dovetail it with world history lessons for their students. Scholastic should pick this one up for sure. Eye-opening, interesting, compelling, and even fun, Night of the Cossack is exactly what a really good book should be.

In other words, this one's a keeper.

Win A Copy!

What about you? Do you enjoy personal glimpses of history through fiction? Leave a comment and Tom will award one commenter with a free copy of the book in pdf form.

Amazon purchase link.
Lesson Plan Barnes and Noble Link

About the Author

Tom Blubaugh was raised in a small town in southeast KS, and was writing poetry by age 14. Tom has written many articles for denominational and business magazines and co-wrote The Great Adventure for Barbour Publishing.(2009). Night of the Cossack is his first work of fiction. Retired now, Tom and his wife Barbara have six children and fourteen grandchildren. Besides writing, Tom devotes most of his time to volunteer work.

Purchase link including lesson plan

Don't forget to leave your comment for a chance to win a free copy in pdf form for your computer or reading device!
Good luck!
I wish you hours of happy reading,

Linore
Heart-Warming, Soul-Stirring Christian Romance