Book Blurb:
Sergeant Abdullah is a trained linguist, a soldier, and now a mechanic, giving everything he has to serve the country that gave him a better life.
This stalwart soldier is heading out on his fourth deployment to Iraq, where he grew up in a small village before moving to the States with his parents under a military visa program. He is eager to deploy to Iraq yet again and assist the military's mission in any way he can.
Meanwhile, Specialist Al Khafaji joins the US Military as part of another special recruiting program through which he ultimately becomes a US citizen and soldier. However, Al Khafaji's motives are unclear to his superiors, who cannot discern what is different about him. While Al Khafaji moves through linguist training, he receives cryptic phone calls and emails as he prepares to deploy to Iraq, where his family still resides. What could these unsettling messages mean? Who is sending them?
In Of Vital Interest, Abdullah's and Al Khafaji's lives interweave as the two men join teams in Iraq, where the US Military works to dismantle a terrorist militant cell operating in a nearby village. This riveting and fast-paced novel will have you hooked from the very first page as each soldier makes his mission, whether good or bad, his life's number one priority.
Book Buy Link: https://geni.us/dMrI5IR
Author Bio:
Frank Demith is a retired Army veteran who served on active duty for twenty-eight years. He graduated from the United States Military Academy and later worked on the Department of the Army team that developed the Army interpreter/translator program. He is a graduate of the Deliberate Discomfort Challenge and is a member of the Endless 6. In his free time, he enjoys reading history and fiction novels, visiting battlefields, and playing the saxophone. He currently lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia with his wife and their four dogs.
Editorial Review:
The call to prayers filled the streets of the small village as the two men made their way down the dusty road. They were moving toward the mosque to join the others in afternoon prayers.
“Are you sure you have everything you need?” the older man asked.
“Yes, I have packed everything. I am ready,” the younger man replied. “There is nothing left to do.”
“Good,” the older man said as he began to walk faster. “We must hurry. We cannot be late for prayers.”
two men entered the mosque and took their place for prayers. They were not early, and they were not late. They were part of the middle, average, and relatively unnoticeable. That was good. That was what they wanted.
Demith writes captivating opening lines that set the stage for an emotionally charged and instructive trip of a book. The first paragraph, which skillfully hooks the reader with the promise of an insider's look into the complexity of modern combat and human sacrifice, introduces Abdullah's third trip to Iraq with a mixture of expectation and solemnity.
Frank Demith's debut book, Of Vital Interest, provides a realistic and compelling glimpse at the lives of troops with Iraqi ancestry fighting in the American military. Through an action-packed narrative, the book sheds light on the complex and frequently dangerous world of military operations.
This International Impact Book Award winner presents a profoundly poignant examination of duty, identity, and sacrifice by deftly fusing gripping fictional storytelling with true military facts. It begins with a dedication to the men and women who joined the Army as interpreters/translators.
The forty-three soldiers stood outside of the unit orderly room waiting for their first sergeant to arrive. This was a bittersweet day for many of them. The Army leadership had decided to disband their current Military Occupational Specialty (MOS), but some of the soldiers had scored high enough on their ASVAB test to be offered the opportunity to reclassify into another MOS. They were now just waiting to be told what MOSs they would be moving on to.
“So what do you think you will do?” a specialist named Bashir asked his squad leader, Sergeant Abdullah.
“Well, I think I’ll just wait and see what comes up,” Sergeant Abdullah replied. “It won’t be easy to move on to another MOS, but at least we are getting a chance. The majority of our company is being released from active duty.”
“That is right, but many of our people are moving on to better-paying civilian jobs as linguists,” Bashir countered, trying to gauge the response from his squad leader’s body language. “I think that Al Saadi is going to make almost twice what he made as a soldier.”
“I am glad that he is going to do well,” Sergeant Abdullah said with a visible level of angst. He had issues with Al Saadi as a soldier and was not really unhappy to see him go. “The good thing is that we will still be able to be soldiers and support the greatest country in the world. Hooah?”
“Hooah, Sergeant!” came the reply from the three soldiers standing nearby.
The first sergeant walked out of the door to the orderly room with a sheet of paper in his hand. He came over to the message board and pinned the paper to the corkboard wall.
“OK, soldiers,” the first sergeant said as he turned to face the group. “Here are the new MOSs you have qualified for. Take a look and let me know in the next day or so if you have any issues or questions. If I don’t hear anything from you by COB Friday, we will move forward with your outprocessing and issue you travel orders to your follow-on training. Sergeant Abdullah, can I see you for a moment?”
The central plot of Of Vital Interest follows the overlapping lives of Specialist Al Khafaji and Sergeant Abdullah, who both entered the military with different goals and backgrounds. This captivating narrative is what drives the film. The plot moves along at a great clip, providing the reader with a constant flow of tension and interest from beginning to end. The conflict between the individuals' past experiences and current responsibilities gives the military action that is taking place a gripping new level of drama.
As far as editing and layout are concerned, it was well done. The well-planned arrangement of the book's structure demonstrates Demith's commanding grasp of military tactics and the value of accuracy in stories of this kind. A presentation that honors and improves the reader's experience is enhanced by the neat and polished formatting. The structure of the chapters and paragraphs keeps the story flowing without overburdening the reader with too much technical detail at once.
Character development is an area in which Demith shines; in Abdullah and Al Khafaji, he creates multifaceted, realistic characters. The experienced mechanic and linguist Abdullah has a strong sense of devotion to his chosen nation in sharp contrast to Al Khafaji's more unclear goals and enigmatic communications. In addition to adding tension to the story, this disparity makes readers consider the difficulties associated with allegiance and identification among troops who come from different backgrounds.
The specialists filed up to the back of the truck. The armorer handed them each a rifle and called out the serial number. When the specialist verified the serial number, they would sign the paperwork from the armorer. Sergeant First Class Hermanson took the twelve magazines and put them inside his helmet bag. He told the specialists to put the cleaning kit in the cargo pocket of their uniforms. Then, they all moved to the bleachers to wait for the team members to finish shooting. It took only about ten minutes before they were ready to move onto the firing line.
“Before we start shooting, I want you all to go through a few dry fire exercises,” Sergeant First Class Hermanson said to the specialists. “Spread out in a good prone position next to this first firing point.”
Sergeant First Class Hermanson watched as the specialists laid down on the ground with their rifles pointing downrange. When it looked like they were all settled, he placed a washer on the barrel of their rifle and told them to pull the trigger. The washer fell off all of their barrels except for Sara’s.
The work skillfully maintains a seamless flow, skillfully integrating multiple subplots and character backstories into a coherent whole. Every new aspect that is added serves a purpose in the story's progression, keeping readers firmly grounded in the narrative's reality and preventing needless distractions.
With a resolution to the main tensions and space for reflection, Of Vital Interest ends on a profoundly pleasant note. The conclusion offers a contemplative look at the expenses and requirements of service while honoring the reader's journey alongside the protagonists.
The duty of the military translator, which is sometimes disregarded in military operations, is authentically portrayed in the story, making it stand out. Because of Demith's actual Army experience, the novel has a distinct authenticity and is enhanced with facts and perspectives that can only be gained from direct knowledge.
Demith writes in an organized, lucid, and skillful manner. Without compromising the depth of the descriptive elements required for such a vivid military backdrop, his narrative effectively advances the plot. Because it conveys the high stakes of the characters' interactions and is believable, the conversation stands out.
The entire narrative arc is masterfully written, with each chapter building on the previous to increase the suspense and intricacy of the narrative. The storyline has a distinct path that mirrors both the outside events and the protagonists' own growth, leading to an unavoidable and profoundly moving finale.
In conclusion, Frank Demith's novel Of Vital Interest is a compelling examination of the human aspects that arise in the theater of battle, not merely a military story. The author tells a story this compelling and perceptive, showing his knowledge and respect for the subject matter.
Readers looking for a novel that both captivates and teaches in equal measure, as well as those interested in military narratives that do not sugarcoat the depth and realism of service, should definitely check out this book.
*****
“Of Vital Interest” by Frank Demith receives 4.5 stars from The Historical Fiction Company
To have your historical novel editorially reviewed and/or enter the HFC Book of the Year contest, please visit www.thehistoricalfictioncompany.com/book-awards/award-submission
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