Title: Fried Oyster Sandwich: An Alternative History in the Medium of Fiction
Author: Lloyd E. Gross
Publisher: AuthorHouse
ISBN: 978-1-5246-8872-1
Pages: 238
Genre: Fiction/Alternative History
Reviewed By: Tiffany Ezuma
Pacific Book Review
Written by Pastor Lloyd E. Gross, Fried Oyster Sandwich: An Alternative History in the Medium of Fiction is an alternative history novel which tells the story of the Kaufmann family and how the South won the Civil War. In this alternative history, the South becomes the Confederate States of America (C.S.A), a nation caught between the Union and the Mexican Empire. Through the history of the Kaufmann family, Gross weaves a tale that ultimately centers on the bonds of family, friendship, and love.
Given the current political climate in the US, reading a book about an alternative history of the Civil War may not sound like everyone’s cup of tea but the novel does deal mostly in the day-to-day lives of the protagonists and the modern issues of the time including things like women’s suffrage, industrialization, and immigration. Spanning from 1909 to 1977, the novel begins by setting up the circumstances of the C.S.A’s founding before focusing on George Kaufmann, a German immigrant who moved to New Orleans as a means to escape religious persecution and be an openly practicing Lutheran.
George is the father of Eric, a writer who eventually works for the local paper, the Times-Picayune. As the years pass, the story eventually moves through time to focus on Eric’s son, Henry, and then onto Henry’s son, Martin. Gross’ strength as a writer comes through in getting the reader invested in the Kaufman family through marriages, births, deaths and other major milestones like purchasing a home. Bolstering the story with a little more detail about the culture and the political events of the time would have made for a richer, more textured reading experience but seeing as this is a debut novel for Gross, it shows promise and imagination.
Fried Oyster Sandwich: An Alternative History in the Medium of Fiction is a novel best suited for alternative history buffs and those who enjoy a family saga.
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