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Reviewed by Divine Zape for Readers' Favorite
Before offering this story to the world, the author notes: “Maybe I should have kept this story to myself. I thought about it, but in the end, it had such a profound effect on me that I had to share it with someone.” And I am happy he shared this story, because it had such a great effect on me that I think it should be shared with everyone. The Vicissitudes of Fortune by Bob Siqveland is a powerful story set against the backdrop of modern culture, a story with great and memorable characters.
The reader has a lot to learn from this story and, besides writing a great story with powerful plot lines, the author has a gift for insightful and powerful reflections on life. Right off the bat the reader hears this: “It usually doesn't take a gifted intuition to figure out who's got what.” He goes on to introduce readers to an unusual cast of characters: five young men brought together by war — a Jew, an Afro-American, a Native American, a white kid, and a Japanese. Their bond grows stronger in the harsh jungles of Vietnam and they grow up with the resolve to make the world better, battling injustice. Billy Stone, the leader of the five, is fighting a Medicare scam involving his sister. But what happens when the price that justice demands is too high?
The Vicissitudes of Fortune is a story of values, a symbolic tale of an ideal society, and what the world would be like without racism. Bob Siqveland’s book can be read from many different angles, but the reader can’t escape the compelling narrative voice that calls for a gentle revolution, for a struggle to build a community where justice and equality reign. It is a sharp protest against racism and its message comes across powerfully; it is very relevant to the contemporary political landscape. The prose is crisp and beautiful, injected with a lot of insight; the characters are exemplary but very relatable, and the plot has its surprises.
