Hickam, Homer. The Far Reaches.

HICKAM, Homer. The Far Reaches. Read by Mark Deakins. 9 cds. 11.5 hrs. Books on Tape. 2007. 978-1-4259-4050-1. $100.00. Vinyl; plot notes. A

Hickam, rocket scientist turned novelist, sets his novel in the South Pacific in the middle of WW II. American marines are invading the Japanese-held stronghold of the Tarawa atoll. US Coast Guard Captain Josh Thurlow lands on one of the islands of the atoll to observe the progress of the invasion force. After being wounded, he comes in contact with Sister Mary Kathleen, an Irish nun being held by the Japanese. Thurlow is weak from loss of blood and only semi-conscious. The Sister takes him and four men to the Far Reaches, a group of islands on the edge of the atoll, to secure the surrender of a Japanese force there. The Americans find that the Japanese commander has no intention of capitulating, and a battle ensues. Deakins, a talented professional reader, successfully employs a wide range of voices. He maintains a high level of drama as he describes the carnage of battle and other events. The story is full of the blood and thunder that will appeal to fans of the action/adventure genre. However, there is also graphic violence, adult language, and use of illegal drugs. Prof. John E. Boyd, Jenkintown, PA