Title: Common Threads
Author: Larry Auerbach
Publisher: Book Vine Press
ISBN: 978-1949574562
Pages: 590
Genre: Historical Fiction/Western
Reviewed by: Anthony Avina
Hollywood Book Reviews
John F. Kennedy once said, “If we cannot now end our differences, at least we can help make the world safe for diversity.” In author Larry Auerbach’s novel Common Threads, diversity becomes a battle as the author delves into the deep South of the United States a decade after the Civil War, and finds a rag tag group of lawmen fighting against the rising threat of the Ku Klux Klan and hidden secrets that threaten to tear the small Southern town apart.
In this book, author Larry Auerbach brings the story of a small band of US Marshalls and their fight against the growing ranks of the KKK to life in vivid detail. Twelve years after the Civil War, the government decides to send a large investment of money to a small town to help rebuild the area and give the former slaves and rebel fighters in the area a chance to rebuild their own lives as well. Yet the threat of the Klan is looming, and the government sends a group of Marshalls to defend the investment and stop the Klan in its tracks before it is too late. Along the way, a decades old mystery brings several people together, their paths crossing as this small town’s secrets threaten to undo everything.
The author showcases a great command over the genre, bringing the imagery of the Southern United States and the era to life in crystal clear detail. The character development is what really shines through however, as this nearly 600 page book focuses heavily on character interactions and dialogue to move the plot forward. This gives readers an in-depth look into the minds of these characters, and puts their actions and the plot overall into a whole new light.
This is a book for anyone who enjoys history, the Civil War in particular, or character heavy narratives that bring large groups of people together over a common goal in the hopes of solving a looming threat or problem. As a history buff myself, I found myself fascinated with the various areas of discussion this story brings up, from the rise of the KKK and what led to its formation, to the growing threat and problem of racism that exists in our world even today and even how the US Marshall’s service rose to power and served the government in the years following that major war.
This is a must read historical fiction novel like no other. A heavy character driven narrative that brings the life of the Southern United States post-Civil War to life in a whole new way, the mystery the author introduces and the drama created by the characters interactions with one another was incredibly engaging and will keep the readers hooked from the very first chapter. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy of Larry Auerbach’s Common Threads today.