Book Blurb:
Truth, a gossamer thread sways over the sword of stolen history...
It’s the 1980s, and countries are falling away from the Soviet Union like dominoes. Archie, an orphaned young Israeli man, shows promise under his mentor, a powerhouse international banker from Vienna. Archie’s financial acumen makes him a successful, wealthy consultant and philanthropist known throughout Europe. Yet all the money Archie gives away won’t assuage his guilt for a broken promise. When a beautiful Palestinian lawyer introduces Archie to a rising dissident leader who seeks his help breaking the tentacles of Soviet dogma, will it bring danger to him and those he loves? In a novel that explores belief and spans continents, The Compass Point confronts the deception that divides a volatile world.
Book Buy Link: https://geni.us/Lqw7h0
Author Bio:
Eight out of ten of my conversations these days start with, "Have you read - ". I've loved reading since childhood when my big sister and I walked to our local library in Flint, Michigan. When the children's librarian handed me copies of Caddie Woodlawn and The Wind in the Willows, I was in heaven. Writing has been a lifelong pleasure and evolved into a teaching career, including a long stint as school newspaper editor of The Inkslinger. Despite my use of the computer now, I still imagine slinging ink on paper. It means to transcend boundaries and harness the weight of words, transporting a reader on an eye-opening journey. I like to think of writing that way.
Editorial Review:
A September cold snap had brought early tinges of red and orange to the trees. Past the suspension bridge just short of the steep Stairway to Heaven incline, Archie and his nephew found a cluster of ghost apples. Logan looked over the empty, crystalline clusters. Below them, some berry-sized apples had escaped and tumbled to the ground. In a ten-year-old huff, he stomped on them with his hiking boots.
“Okay, are you going to tell me now why I needed to fly here?” Archie said. His impatience was a sham.
Patty Duffy creates a gripping story in The Compass Point that combines intensely personal concerns with geopolitical intrigue. The book centers on Archie, an orphaned Israeli man whose financial savvy catapults him into the top tiers of European banking and philanthropy during the 1980s, a time of profound political upheaval. He eventually enters the perilous realm of political resistance against Soviet influence, but behind his accomplishment is a profound sense of shame over a violated commitment.
Duffy captivates the reader right away with her incisive, vivid prose. The beginning of the book immediately establishes a sense of depth and urgency, bringing us into a world where history is frequently altered by those in positions of authority and truth is brittle. We are led on an exciting voyage across countries as Archie's adventure progresses, encountering people who contradict his convictions and make him face the lies that contribute to world instability.
A tip from a neighbor revealed that his father was working for the resistance, making weapons from broken guns. Rather than kill him, the Germans made him repair weapons for them, threatening to kill his parents if he refused. At the end of the war, he learned that they took his parents to Auschwitz anyway. The years he spent in the resistance never mattered. He was an honorable man, but neighbors knew him as a collaborator, a pariah. After the war, he married and had a family, hoping that times would change and that they wouldn’t have to suffer. One day when Archie was small, his father was gunned down by another resistance fighter, a veteran. It was hard for Archie and his sister either to act ashamed about their father or to risk violence.
After their mother’s death from random crossfire in front of their home in Haifa, the children were sent to a kibbutz near the border. Early on, the older neighborhood boys blindfolded ten-year-old Archie and dragged him far away to disorient him, removing the blindfold in a place in the kibbutz he’d never been in the hope that he’d get lost and never return. After a few of these episodes, he considered these kidnappings to be little adventures. He’d listen to the sounds of goat’s bells, echoes of cantors through open synagogue doors, the smell of the baker’s bread or the mechanic’s oil, and trace his way back by sound and smell. When the boys discovered that that he didn’t mind these excursions, they gave up. But not Archie.
The novel's gripping plot is among its best features. Politically and personally, the stakes are tremendous, and Duffy skillfully strikes a balance between Archie's public deeds and his inner struggles. His relationship with Layla, a talented Palestinian attorney, adds complexity to the main issue by bringing in an emotional dimension. Their friendship reflects the brittleness of the world Archie aims to change by serving as both a source of vulnerability and a ray of optimism.
There is remarkable character growth in The Compass Point. Archie is not a typical hero because he has chances that most people would never have due to his riches and status, but his motivations are nuanced and include both a sincere desire to change the world and guilt. Layla is equally well-developed, both as a strong character and a potential love interest. The supporting cast, which includes Archie's powerful mentor and the up-and-coming dissident leader he supports, enhances the story and offers a variety of viewpoints on the main ideas of the book.
The historical setting and the plot are expertly weaved together to provide the reader with a rich and captivating backdrop without becoming overbearing. It seems natural and well-paced to go from Archie's early years in Israel to his ascent in the finance industry and ultimate involvement in political unrest. Each subplot contributes to the overall story, keeping it interesting and unified.
Because you strike out on your own, you and your cadre of student journalists, you think you’re independent of the Soviet bloc.” Alex Rothschild didn’t waste time on pleasantries. “Your so-called independence only isolates you. You are fearful of every hotel room and every corner. What kind of freedom do you have if you live like this?” His thin-lipped smile was forced. “You can keep your freedom, Archie, and I’ll keep mine.”
Its well-executed formatting and editing make the book easier to read. Duffy writes with subtlety and clarity, delivering powerful imagery and discussion without needless explanation. The well-balanced pacing, which switches between action-packed and contemplative sequences, keeps the reader fascinated from start to finish.
Its complex fusion of historical fiction, political thriller, and character-driven drama is what makes the book special. The Compass Point stands out among the many books that examine the Cold War era because it centers on a guy who finds himself at the intersection of politics, finance, and personal salvation. Archie's tale explores the ethical price of power and the thin line separating bravery from recklessness in addition to opposing totalitarianism.
It's a really wonderful plot arc. Archie's personal and external conflicts are powerfully resolved in the finale, and although if the conclusion is not neatly wrapped up, it gives the reader a sense of closure and reflection. To maintain the novel's reality, Duffy does not sugarcoat the brutal realities of political conflict.
To sum up, The Compass Point is a well written, thought-provoking book that will appeal to readers of both political thrillers and historical fiction. The work is distinctive because of Duffy's ability to blend deeply personal concerns with general geopolitical subjects. Long after you've finished reading it, you'll still be thinking about it.
4.5 stars from The Historical Fiction Company
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