This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Free Book Program, which is open to all readers and is completely free. The author will provide you with a free copy of their book in exchange for an honest review. You and the author will discuss what sites you will post your review to and what kind of copy of the book you would like to receive (eBook, PDF, Word, paperback, etc.). To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Review Exchange Program, which is open to all authors and is completely free. Simply put, you agree to provide an honest review an author's book in exchange for the author doing the same for you. What sites your reviews are posted on (B&N, Amazon, etc.) and whether you send digital (eBook, PDF, Word, etc.) or hard copies of your books to each other for review is up to you. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email, and be sure to describe your book or include a link to your Readers' Favorite review page or Amazon page.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Donation Program, which was created to help nonprofit and charitable organizations (schools, libraries, convalescent homes, soldier donation programs, etc.) by providing them with free books and to help authors garner more exposure for their work. This author is willing to donate free copies of their book in exchange for reviews (if circumstances allow) and the knowledge that their book is being read and enjoyed. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email. Be sure to tell the author who you are, what organization you are with, how many books you need, how they will be used, and the number of reviews, if any, you would be able to provide.
Stephen L Graf has more than thirty publication credits for short fiction and creative non-fiction including: Philadelphia Stories, Cicada, The Southern Review, The Chrysalis Reader, Fiction, New Works Review, The Broadkill Review, SNReview, and The Black Mountain Review in Ireland, among others. His short fiction has won several Editor’s Choice awards, and has twice been nominated for the Pushcart Prize. He lived in Ireland for 2 years while earning an MPhil in Anglo-Irish literature at Trinity College, Dublin. He holds a PhD. in 20th-century Irish literature from the University of Newcastle in the UK. He currently resides in Pittsburgh with his son Declan and teaches English literature.
To see more of his work, please visit his website:
stephenlgraf.com
Reviewed by K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite
The Third Traveler by Stephen L. Graf is a historical fiction novel that takes readers on an epic journey across three continents and four decades. The story begins in 1912 with Ciaran Creagh, a young explorer fighting for survival after a harrowing South Pole expedition. From here, an emotive family saga erupts with just as much drama and intensity. The novel intricately weaves the experiences of three generations of an Irish family, shifting between the Antarctic, Ireland, and Hell’s Kitchen, exploring themes of love, loss, triumph, and defeat against an incredibly vivid historical backdrop.
Historical detail permeates every facet of this novel, taking us through multiple generations of lived history in vivid, multi-sensory imagery. When combined with the rich character development of the unfolding family saga, the story is both immersive and emotionally engaging, making it feel as though we’re walking through history with people as realistic as our own ancestors. The novel's seamless transitions between periods and locations show Graf's flair for narrative structure, and I never felt lost or struggled to remember who was who. A unique kind of confidence about an author who knows his own story world exudes from these pages, particularly in the sense of place, attitudes, and perspectives that each location inspires. Stephen L. Graf's vivid descriptions of the Antarctic, for example, vividly transport the reader with atmospheric depth but also show us the deep psychological impact of experiencing such a desolate and often lonely place. Overall, I would certainly recommend The Third Traveler for fans of intense family dramas and historical sagas everywhere.
