Review by Rox Burkey
Football Flyboy is a poignant story of family, bygone days, love, hope and honesty. Lt. Bill Cannon, Buster, a hero in how he cared for his family and served his country with courage and commitment. There were so many who served in World War II with the same conviction highlighting why people during this time were tagged as the Greatest Generation. Taking handwritten letters, one-sided from her Dad to her Mom, Author Lisa Reinicke creates a compelling yet sensitive story of a family man and family values. If you enjoy honesty in a story with real characters during a time when families talked to one another, before technology, then I would highly recommend you read or listen to this one. This is a sentimental journey that will grab you from the very beginning.
Taking original letters at the starting point for each chapter makes this a very unique approach to a story and allows the author to highlight points in the family’s life. Buster, who is the title character is revealed through his honest letters. But even Aunt Ruby adds to each chapter with one of her poems. The combination of these chapter books ends, along with the author’s insight in between depicts so many events and feelings of her family and her parents 55 years together. Early in the story, the author highlighted her commitment when she wrote, I would see their personal feelings and share in their loneliness, sorrows, joy, and adventures through the love letters…” How the soldiers of World War II overcame separation from loved ones is seen through the lens of Buster’s letters.
Writing letters was nearly an art form before the times of cell phones, computers, and Face Time. The way the author, Lisa relates these letters to her childhood experiences is amazing. She places her family before as she allows you to share in her life. Buster was a hero who made his contribution to the war, but epitomized his family values from his time away and the letters he wrote.
Narrating this story allowed me as a listener to be there as the life of the author, Lisa, unfolded. I know I would not be able to do my narration as she did were this my story. I have also listened to Richard Reiman narrate other things and he complimented Lisa’s telling perfectly. His voice and cadence were masterfully delivered. Lisa was the right person to narrate this story as you can feel all her emotions as you listen. I will keep this audible and listen, again and again. It was worth every minute. Let me know if you agree.
About the Author/Narrator and co-Narrator
Lisa Reinicke is the majority holder of Our House Publications and author of 4 published children’s picture books for sale on Amazon and independent book stores. Lisa was honored with the Mom’s Choice Gold Award for lifetime literary excellence for her children’s book “Wings and Feet” in 2017. She is a storyteller and author of 35 children’s stories appearing on local TV shows, elementary schools, and bookstores. The stories have been published in 3 collective recordings for distribution for A Goodnight Sleep Company. She also produced online (virtual) training for service advisors and technicians. Lisa served as head writer and on-camera talent in the videos. Her books are entertaining yet focus on social issues that engage children and parents to discuss. Her four children were all uniquely different ranging from physical differences, adoption, and physiological disorders that lead her following experts in each field to help children overcome the stigma around being different. Lisa passionately works raising money for charities that improve children’s lives physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
Richard Rieman credits reading to his children in his monster and wizard voices for his love of audiobooks. He is a Global eBook Gold Medal Award Winner in Writing/Publishing.
Richard is an authority on Audiobook self-publishing. He has consulted and produced over 150 indie-published audiobooks. He is the author of the Global eBook Awards Gold Medal Winner in Writing/Publishing, “The Author’s Guide to Audiobook Creation.” Richard is also an Audible Approved Audiobook Narrator (Top 10%) and a 5-time winner of the EVVY Award for audiobook narration and production.
Richard has spoken on audiobook creation and promotion to the Nonfiction Writers Conference, the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Bublish, Women Writing the West, the Colorado Independent Publishers Association (CIPA), Author U, the Colorado Authors League, the Las Vegas Writers Conference, the Ghost Writers of America, and many more.
Before his audiobook adventures, Richard was a news anchor and reporter at the RKO Radio Networks in NYC, WTOP in Washington DC, and WLS and WMAQ Radio in Chicago.
