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Reviewed by Grant Leishman for Readers' Favorite
No Man’s Land: This Hallowed Ground Book Three by Donna E. Lane is a continuation of the generational saga of the MacAlister family, set in the early 1900s. Fin, Buck, and Ian have emigrated to New Zealand along with their parents. A deliberately set, tragic fire leaves the three boys orphans. Sent back to America to live on their grandparents’ Georgia farm, Fin, Buck, and Ian are devastated to leave New Zealand and especially their adopted Māori brother Manaaki behind. When the world becomes embroiled in war, Ian feels the need to support his brothers-in-arms and is caught up in the chaos of World War I. Fin and Buck follow Ian into the conflict, determined to protect their little brother. What follows is the horrifying carnage that was Gallipoli, Passchendaele, Ypres, the Somme, and all the death and destruction of trench warfare. Can the bonds of family, brotherhood, and love survive?
No Man’s Land is the most intensely powerful and moving anti-war novel I have read in a very long time. But it is so much more than just an exposition against old men’s folly that sends the flower of a nation’s youth to die or be maimed on foreign soil. It is a sweeping, epic tale of familial love, generational succession, tragedy, and loss that will resonate deeply. As a New Zealander, this story is profoundly personal to me. We grew up on stories of Gallipoli and how it shaped New Zealand as a nation. What this author does so beautifully is to bring the starkness, horror, and awful reality of the mass destruction of the world’s best and brightest right into our consciousness. Despite the author’s realism and starkly raw battle scenes, the novel also contains a softer, gentler tone that perfectly balances the battlefield scenes. I particularly enjoyed the different natures of the three boys. Although this book is marketed as Christian historical fiction, that should not deter any potential reader. Yes, there is a vein of faith woven through the narrative, but it is a story of love, family, and hope for the future, despite unbelievable tragedy and loss. This book is one of my top reads. I cannot recommend this story highly enough, and I am keen to read more from this incredibly talented author.
