A Soldier’s Children

Review by Rox Burkey

Author Jan Sikes grabs at your heart when the heroine of the story, Jennifer, fears she has lost her sister in an amusement park. As you take a breath to continue reading the emotional pull moves you swiftly from page to page.

Being a grown up at fourteen, but alone without parental support, and the caretaker of Emily, who is seven, is a huge responsibility. The strength of this young girl shines through as she works to make ends meet. Jennifer lies about her mother’s whereabouts, and to a degree denies her father’s disappearance when fighting the war in Afghanistan. Jennifer works to keep their family of two intact.

Jennifer’s perspective really hits home for me as she purposely runs from one destination to another hoping for success.

“I sprinted through the amusement park gates.

The look on Mr. Parker’s face told me they hadn’t found her yet. I swiped at my tears, shoved the cell phone back in his hand and muttered. “Thanks, Mr. Parker. She wasn’t home.”

Mr. Parker narrowed his eyes. “Where is your mother, young lady? She should be here.”

I cast my eyes to the ground. “She was out.”

“Well, no matter. Put your thinking cap on. What is Emily’s favorite part of the park?”

“She loves the house of mirrors. She goes in there every chance she gets.”

“Then, let’s go look there.” I walked alongside the man who had shown me nothing but kindness. More tears threatened to spill, and I blinked hard.

“Why do I have a feeling there’s something you aren’t telling me, Jennifer?” He asked.

“I don’t know, sir.”

This short story builds quickly and takes you to a surprising ending that allows you the time to regain the breath you lost in the beginning. I recommend this story to any young adult and beyond. Another good one by Jan Sikes.

About the Author

Jan Sikes openly admits that she never set out in life to be an author. But she had a story to tell. Not just any story, but a true story that rivals any fiction creation. You simply can’t make this stuff up. It all happened. She chose to create fictitious characters to tell the story through, and they bring the intricately woven tale to life in an entertaining way.

She released a series of music CDs to accompany the four biographical fiction books and then published a book of poetry and art to bring the story full circle.

And now that the story is told, this author can’t find a way to put down the pen. She continues to write fiction and has published many short stories with a series of novels waiting in the wings. She is a member of Authors Marketing Guild, The Writer’s League of Texas, the RAVE REVIEWS BOOK CLUB (RRBC), the RAVE WRITER’S INT’L SOCIETY OF AUTHOR (RWISA), sits on the RWISA Executive Council and hosts a monthly RAVE WAVES blog talk radio show, ASPIRE TO INSPIRE.

You can find Jan on Facebook and Twitter and visit her Website for additional fascinating background on her award-winning stories.