Homeland

by Robert Keprta

Overview

Frank immigrated to America at age ten. Now twenty-eight years old, he wants to visit his homeland to see his childhood friends.

He was not yet a US citizen when he left to visit his homeland. Because of this, he was detained as a legal citizen of the Czech Republic (what was then the Austria-Hungarian Empire when he first left). However, a harrowing ordeal awaited him.

As he was still a citizen of the (now) Czech Republic, he was subsequently forced into military service. He would eventually escape, make his way back to America as a stowaway, but be detained again without papers at Ellis Island. When detained, he was to be sent back to Europe to be shot as a deserter. Now, only last-minute interventions could save him!

Several miraculous events assisted him during his ordeal and afterward.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781639035816
Publisher:	Christian Faith
Publication date:	10/18/2021
Pages:	54
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.13(d)

Editorial Reviews

09/05/2022

Robert Keprta (Superlative Selling) tells an engaging historical tale of freedom, danger, and the complexities of birthright and citizenship in this compact, compelling narrative. Frank, who emigrated from the Austria-Hungary Empire at the age of ten, decides to visit his birthplace as an adult in the early twentieth century. Upon his return, he is captured and forcibly enlisted in the army. Drawing strength from his steady faith in God, he is eventually able to escape and undertakes a long, perilous journey back to the United States–this time as a stowaway with no passport. Without papers, he is imprisoned at Ellis Island until his wife, Bosinia, can come and verify his identity, finally allowing him back to rebuild his life in the U.S.

This story, drawn from actual incidents, is fast paced and exciting, although at times the text is bogged down by minor errors and long chapters without breaks. Frank’s faith is a clear support to him throughout his dangerous experience, and Keprta skillfully illustrates that the homeland of the novel’s title is not Frank’s new life in Texas, or the old country in Europe–rather, it is eternity in heaven. Some readers may wish for a map to detail Frank’s travels, or personal photographs to make the story more intimate, as this mixture of memoir and fiction straddles more than one genre.

Despite the story being a quick read, it never lacks for excitement. The sections dealing with the experience of Frank’s wife are gripping, and the narration of Frank’s time in Europe is well-detailed and visceral. Readers will sympathize with Frank’s desire to see his birth home, even as they recognize the inevitable danger awaiting him. Once he is forcibly conscripted, readers will cheer for him to escape and be relieved when Frank and Bosinia are safely reunited at last.

Takeaway: An exciting historical story of danger, triumph, and migration, based in the Christian faith.

Great for fans of: Airey Neave’s They Have Their Exits, Jonathan F. Vance’s The True Story of the Great Escape.

Production grades Cover: B+ Design and typography: A Illustrations: N/A Editing: C Marketing copy: B

BookLife Reviews