Review of Ronald L. Powell, Missing in Action, by Shirley H. Slaughter @sharrislaughter

Day two of the kiddos being home for another round of online learning. I must admit, this particular round has not been as difficult as the others. Perhaps we are just all getting more adroit at this thing, as time goes on.

Today, I am reviewing Ronald L. Powell, Missing in Action, by Shirley H. Slaughter

What Amazon says:

My brother dropped out of school and joined the Marines around 1963. By the time our Mother found him (he enlisted without telling anyone) he had been through basic training and was preparing to go to war. He told her in a letter, “Mom, I don’t think I’m going to make it …”
This is a memoir of my brave brother, Ronald Louis Powell, who died under mysterious circumstances along with 57 of his comrades. Nothing was ever said or written about this tragedy.
This is my way of keeping his story alive and bringing some closure.

My Turn:

A heartbreaking account of a beloved brother lost to war and the author’s struggle to come to terms with a brother who never came home. The lack of transparency shown by the government adds more pain and prevents closure for the family.

Deep and personal, this short story draws sympathy for the family and in the end, left me feeling great admiration for the brave men and women who put their lives on the line, in service. I was also discouraged by the lack of concern on behalf of the government to be forthcoming in the facts of his death. A wonderful tribute to Ronald.  Three Stars.

Meet Shirley:

Shirley Harris-Slaughter’s first book highlights her passion for history which led to her first published work, Our Lady of Victory, the Saga of an African American Catholic Community. But she wouldn’t have been able to write that book had she not had the presence of mind to conquer the health crisis she found herself in. She is an advocate for natural health and healing. Any problem that she had to face, she found her way out of it through sheer determination.

This led to her second book CRAZY! HOT! AND LIVING ON THE EDGE!! She has written a couple of short stories including contributing essays in her Book Club’s Rave Soups Series.

She spends most of her time these days watching movies and episodes of “Suits.”

Connect with Shirley and purchase her works:

Twitter Blog Amazon Author Page

Shirley is also a member of Rave Reviews Book Club

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markbierman

Born and raised on a farm near Brockville, Ontario, Mark Bierman's childhood consisted of chores, riding horses, snowmobile races across open fields, fishing trips to a local lake, and many other outdoor adventures. He was also an avid reader of both fiction and non. Transitioning towards adulthood also meant moving from the farm and into large urban areas that introduced this country boy to life in the big cities. After a short stint as a private investigator, he moved into the role of Correctional Officer, working at both Millhaven Institution and Kingston Penitentiary, until it closed.

34 thoughts on “Review of Ronald L. Powell, Missing in Action, by Shirley H. Slaughter @sharrislaughter”

  3. One always is feeling sorry about such a loss. This book is a great tribute. Thank you Mark for introducting, and the lovely review! I hope you are enjoying a beautiful weekend, and wish you a great start into the new week. Thanks for the funny captions too. :-)) Michael

    Liked by 2 people

  7. Hi Mark, that sounds very touching especially since you personally can connect. It’s great to have books that have a meaning. These needs to be shared in order to keep the memories alive and hopefully learn from it. Love, Sovely

    Liked by 3 people

  9. I want to tell you all how much the level of interest is appreciated. The pain of the loss is becoming more bearable.

    Thank you.

    Liked by 3 people

  11. This must have been a difficult book for Shirley to write, with getting no answers from the government about what happened to her brother and his comrades. Kudos to her to persevering to keep Ronald’s memory alive.

    Liked by 3 people

    2. Hi Jacqui, until there is no hope. His body was never found as it was an explosion. It was an empty coffin with his dog tags and some personal effects inside. That was the nightmare I never woke up from.

      Liked by 3 people

  13. Thank you for sharing your review and spotlight of Shirley’s latest book. It sounds like a powerful memorial to her brother.

    Liked by 5 people

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