Sons of Thunder

Sons of Thunder by Susan May Warren


As much as I really tried to like this book, I felt lost amidst the deja vu of the movie Pearl Harbor.

Markos and Dino Stavros are forced to flee their home in Greece when their older brother's wedding ends with multiple deaths including their brother and father. They leave for America with Sofia and her grandfather. Nothing seems to go well for them. Sofia's grandfather dies before they reach NY so she remains with the Stavros brothers. Circumstances separate them in Chicago. Sofia and Dino end up in Minneapolis where December 7,1941 eventually reunites Sofia and Dino. Again circumstances separate Sofia and Dino. All three spend a few years drifting without sight of each other. The brothers find each other for a brief flash of time before they again are separated. Eventually Markos and Sofia return to Greece as WWII rages around them.

This story is a tale of the consequences of our decisions and how we take responsibility or allow the guilt to dictate our future decisions. The setting in Greece is phenomenal and I wanted to be there with the sun caressing the waves of the blue ocean. As the story moved to the streets of Chicago, I was transported to that time with flapper dresses and Tommy guns. The story ends in Greece as WWII changes the landscape of so many Nazi inhabited countries.

Unfortunately, I couldn't get swept away enough in Sons of Thunder to separate it from Pearl Harbor. The stories are too similar. Glaringly is the fact that Pearl Harbor, HI was attacked in this book. Even the twist of a third love interest for Sofia couldn't distract from knowing it was Ben Affleck and Josh Hartnett fighting over Kate Beckinsale. Sons of Thunder has more characterization and back story, but still the similarities were too multiple and it weakened Sons of Thunder for me.

As Laurie says in Little Women "my compositions are only a mediocre copy of another man's genius." Pearl Harbor is the mediocre one if comparing these two stories, however Pearl Harbor is the medium with more punch. I was waiting for Faith Hill to begin singing as I reached the end of the book. Pearl Harbor also gave brilliant visuals. While Sons of Thunder never visited Pearl Harbor for a setting, it didn't distinguish itself enough to KO Pearl Harbor and take the title.