The Franklin Project

A New Story with an Old Friend

Fiction - Historical - Event/Era
326 Pages
Reviewed on 05/28/2017
Buy on Amazon

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Author Biography

Ben DeSantis is a full-time, twenty-year experienced, IT professional during the week and an aspiring writer on the weekend. He is a modest student of American history and takes a no-stone-unturned approach in all projects, professional and personal, including research for his writing. He lives in New York, and is the spouse of a cancer survivor, who is a teacher, and who has taught him on what it means to be strong and persevere, no matter what. For his leisure, Ben loves golf and is a loyal Knicks fan, and a happy Yankees and Giants fan.

    Book Review

Reviewed by Melinda Hills for Readers' Favorite

Ethan Pope is surprised when his lifelong postman from Yonkers ends up as the postman for his new home in West Chester. Things become even stranger, though, when Ethan wins the United States Postal Service contest, Priority for Life, and he discovers part of his ‘prize’ is an old chest containing a letter from Benjamin Franklin. In The Franklin Project by Ben DeSantis, Ethan is drawn into a plan devised over 250 years ago to ensure the correct course of American history, and Henry has been his lifelong guardian. In this plan, it is up to Ethan to return to the past, specifically Philadelphia in 1775, and influence Benjamin Franklin, the first Postmaster of the Colonies, to vote for war against British oppression. With guidance from Henry and Audrey in the present, and several others who had previously gone back to the era, Ethan learns everything he can to make the right impression on Doctor Franklin and convince him to go along with the vote for separating from English rule.

Ben DeSantis has created an amazing historical tale that explores the depths and breadth of men’s thinking at the time when the colonies were young. The Franklin Project brings that history alive through his creative portrayal of Ethan Pope and Henry, a secret member of a hidden branch of the postal service designed to ensure the correct course of history. Emotions run deep as Ethan must face leaving his new wife to accomplish this goal, and the commitment of the numerous colonial leaders is also well portrayed. This is the best way to read history – a great story spanning many years and involving countless participants with plenty of action, intrigue and excitement.

Rabia Tanveer

The Franklin Project: A New Story with an Old Friend by Ben DeSantis is the story of Ethan Pope, a man who thought he was down on his luck, but he has no idea what his influence can do. Ethan is newly married and he just lost his job. How bad is that? With another person depending on him, Ethan knows that he has to do something to better their future, but what? His life changed when he won a contest at the post office and he makes a startling discovery.

Henry, his postman, is actually a part of a very secret division at the post office that was created by Benjamin Franklin himself. You can imagine Ethan’s surprise when Henry tells him that Ethan plays a vital role in swaying Benjamin Franklin in favor of American Independence. But is that true? How can Ethan do it when he is living in a time long after Franklin? Well, he would have to go back in time because Henry tells him that he has to convince Benjamin Franklin. Can he travel back in time? If he goes back in time, can he come back to his own time? Is all this even true?

The Franklin Project is smooth and very fast paced. There is never a dull moment in the novel, the characters are well developed, and so is the plot line. Ethan is a likeable character and he is very capable of attracting the attention of the reader. The plot line is very interesting. It is entertaining, especially with the mysterious time travel! The cover of the novel is, of course, brilliant and really appealing. Ben DeSantis did a remarkable job with the characterization and a story that is believable and enjoyable. A very good and amazingly well-constructed read.

Arya Fomonyuy

“My name is Keely, and I am calling on behalf of the United States Postal Service. I would like to congratulate you on being selected as the grand-prize winner of our Priority for Life contest.” These are the words that Ethan Pope hears over the phone, not long after losing his job and just being a newly wed. He had lost hope and was about to despair. Now he discovers that an old friend of his, Henry, was part of a secret division of the postal system created by Benjamin Franklin. What role did Henry play in determining Franklin’s choice for independence? Take a trip back to this historic moment with awesome characters to discover the making of history. The Franklin Project: A New Story with an Old Friend by Ben DeSantis is a thrilling historical event novel with extraordinary characters.

Ben DeSantis’ novel takes readers on an exciting journey to a very important moment in American history to converse with minds that engineered the nation’s independence — the founding fathers. Get ready for great drama, exciting dialogues, and debates. The characters are awesome and they come off the pages of history with brilliance. The storyline is deceptively simple, but it offers one of the most interesting conflicts I have read in such books, one that fuels the drama and creates the dynamism that moves the characters around in the story. The historical references and commentaries are striking as well and the prose is powerful. The Franklin Project: A New Story with an Old Friend is a spellbinding novel for fans of historical fiction. I couldn’t put this one down.

Gene

Love to read history I think this sounds interesting to me.