FICTION

Act of Oblivion

Harper: HarperCollins. Sept. 2022. 304p. ISBN 9780063248007. $28.99. F
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Harris (V2: A Novel of World War II) demonstrates his talent for bringing history to life with a taut new tale of faith and vengeance. King Charles I of England was the center of a realm divided on religious ideology. His suspension of Parliament set in motion a series of events leading to his execution as a traitor to the nation. Oliver Cromwell was the force behind a new republican England, and after the king’s death, he ruthlessly dealt with those still loyal to the crown. In 1660, 11 years after Charles I’s execution, his son Charles Stuart is restored to the throne and the men responsible for the regicide are now wanted men. Leading the manhunt is Richard Nayler, an agent of the Privy Council—a man who has his own reasons for capturing two of the hunted, men he holds responsible for the deaths of his wife and unborn child. Nayler is a bloodhound, tracking the fugitives to the new American colonies, where the conflict that began in London spills onto fresh soil.
VERDICT Harris’s story bogs down in places with dense detail, but the raw emotions of the characters and the issues that drive human dissent make this a worthwhile read.
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