American Voices: State of Rebellion (book 1)

By Gordon Ryan



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 American Voices: State of Rebellion, Book One

Reviewed by Jeffrey Needle for the Association for Mormon Letters

It's hard to read this book without thinking about the current state of affairs in our nation. Some time ago, the governor of Texas began talking about secession, and most of us reacted by saying either “Fine, don't let the door hit you on the rear end on your way out,” or “Please just shut up – you're not going anywhere.” If you're not a politics junkie as I am, you may not have heard of this latest bit of nonsense.

Now, in the wake of the passage of health care reform, we're hearing talk once again about, among other things, secession. I don't think anyone is going to take such foolish steps; we are, after all, one nation under God. But there is certainly a groundswell of protest growing that is worth paying attention to.,

In this latest offering from Gordon Ryan (whose writing we haven't seen in quite a while), Daniel Rawlings, whose American roots go back nearly 150 years, is plunged into a world of violence and bloodshed. As a captain in the National Guard and a respected attorney, Dan, an active Latter-day Saint, is plunged into the difficult and murky world of fringe radical groups, cold-blooded killers, bent upon the destruction of the Union that we call the United States of America.

His main target is a group called the Shasta Brigade. Populated by radicals and disaffected no-gooders, they operate in the shadows, although some, even peace officers, are known to be active members. Their influence, and their deadly activities, are abetted by a respected group called the Western Patriot Movement. Behind the scenes of this group is a U.S. Senator bent upon the full secession of the state of California from the Union.

Dan Rawlings and his ancestors have lived and farmed the fertile ground of California for generations. Now Dan must decide whether he will support the secession movement or to live his convictions about California and its place in the United States.

Along the way there are heroes and villains, and enough action to keep any reader on the edge of his seat, wondering how the story will wind down.

Ryan is known for his spare, lean prose, and his amazing understanding of the human condition. I've been a fan of his writing for many years, ever since he produced his “Spirit of Union” series, which ended all too quickly. This latest offering may be his best yet. The subject matter is timely; the action is credible and often nail-biting.

There is much to admire in this book. Ryan has been a consistent and thoughtful voice on the Mormon literary scene. His books appeal to readers of every stripe. Some may complain that there is little in the way of soaring rhetoric in his writing. But this is not his goal. Instead, he wants to inform and to entertain. And in this sense, he succeeds very well.

A quick word about typography, and this, I admit, may be a purely personal preference. There are two issues.

First, when expressing ranking (such as 1st), the publishers choose to superscript the “st” portion, thus causing the reader's eye to leave the flow of the text. I recall reading studies that indicate that readers tend to tire more easily when they are forced to leave the direct left-to-right reading path. Yes, I understand the common use of such typography, but my personal preference is to leave the entire word in regular type.

The second issue, I think, is more serious. I appreciate as well as the next guy the desire to make a book look as nice as possible. The first page of each chapter has a picture of an American flag, in medium-dark gray, set as a background for the page. The result is a potential problem for some readers who have trouble reading black print on a dark gray background. In my opinion, this particular decision will create some stress on the reader. I know that my eyes don't deal well with the reduced contrast between the print and the background.