When I first started reading Brian Kaufman’s “A Persitent Echo” I expected it to be along the lines of a science fiction or fantasy tale—especially considering that the protagonist, aging civil war vet, researcher, and world traveller/adventure August Simms had returned to Texas to investigate the rumors of the flying machines that had been reported in that area. Instead, this is a novel that explores the human spirit—kindness, forgiveness, prejudice, and matters of life and death. The writing is absolutely lovely, and I plan to return to the book again. I feel that I may have raced through it. Next time I intend to savor every word. A strong five stars. Thank you Net Galley for the advanced readers copy. My opinion is my own.

A unique story line. I very much enjoyed this story. I also look.forward to reading more by this author.

Set against the backdrop of UFO sightings in Rhome, Texas, and its outskirts during the late 1800s, this book follows the journey of a curious man determined to unravel the mystery. However, as the narrative unfolds, the plot and mystery of the UFOs gradually take a back seat, giving way to a captivating exploration of the central character, August Simms, and the people he encounters (or re-encounters) in Rhome. This character-driven story ultimately becomes more intriguing. While the book maintains a deliberately slow pace, its exceptional writing transports readers into August Simms' life with such vividness that it feels as if you are peering into his world from above, observing a moment in his genuine existence.

One delightful surprise in the narrative is the exploration of LGBTQ themes, a rare occurrence in historical fiction. The book's heartwarming conclusion leaves readers with a profound sense of privilege as if they have been granted an intimate glimpse into the life of its remarkable protagonist. The book is a slow burn but I highly recommend!

Really, really good. So glad that I took the time to read A Persistent Echo.

August Simms returns to Rhome, Texas to talk with witnesses who have seen "aircrafts" around 1897 (before the Wright brothers flights at Kitty Hawk). It was interesting how comments to reporters were distorted when put into print. August revisits the boarding house he stayed at decades ago.

Not super long, approx 225 pages. Definitely worth the time to read. Portions reminded me of the Shootist, John Wayne’s final movie.

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher Black Rose Writing for approving my request to read the advance review copy in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Brian Kaufman for writing A Persistent Echo. One of the things I like best about NetGalley is that it introduces me to "new to me authors" and I plan to read additional novels by Brian Kaufman. Publication date August 24, 2023.

August Simms is 86. He's seen and done a lot in his time and as he feels his time ending, he wants one last adventure. It is 1897, and August is chasing rumors of airships and returns to the small town in Texas where 15 years earlier, he witnessed a lynching and his beloved wife died of cancer. The story and the characters draw you into events of 1897, 1882, and draw parallels to the present in a masterful way. It is a beautifully written story of regret, friendship, and acceptance.
Thank you to NetGalley and Black Rose Writing. In exchange for an advance copy, I have given an honest review.

In A PERSISTENT ECHO, by Brian Kaufman, the reader meets August Simms as he arrives by train in Rhome, Texas. The year is 1897, and sightings of flying machines have been reported in California, the Midwest and, only days ago, in Rhome. Having secured a driver and a room in a boarding house, he will speak personally to those who claim to have seen the mysterious machines.

August Simms, first a college professor, then, in the Union Army, a commander of troops of color (taking meals with his men rather than other officers), has long worked in the field of archaeology and has traveled widely. Obviously well-read, each morning he buys and shares three different newspapers with the “morning-coffee regulars” at Rhome’s general store, although he expresses distrust of the popular press. While uncommonly courteous, he does not bow to self-styled arbiters of what is right and what is true when in his investigation he interacts with purveyors of power—a doctor, a lawyer, a judge, a minister—and the owner of two flour mills, an overseer.

His life has been full, but he feels the absence of his dear wife who died many years ago in the very room in which he is staying. And now he is ill. He observes, “I can’t change the past and I’m running out of future.”

August Simms is looking for one last adventure. Or a miracle.

Author Brian Kaufman, in A PERSISTENT ECHO, has given us a protagonist of rare quality. I find August Simms—with his old-fashioned courtesy, sometimes startling honesty, and a hint of mystery—equal in appeal to Captain Jefferson Kyle Kidd in Paulette Jiles’ NEWS OF THE WORLD, a book which ranks in my topmost few of historical novels.

Kaufman addresses the full range of senses and creates that “something more” which comes of superb skill with language. Note his descriptions of the play of light and fragrances of nightfall when the boarding house’s owner comes from the porch holding a lantern. “The light casts a sepia glow across the yard, adding to the flickering of torches.” And, “The night air carries a parade of spring rain smells—damp saw grass, dandelions, and black gumbo clay soil.”

The flickering of torches? Yes. The small town of Rhome, Texas, is host to all the multi-layered issues of the world at large: gender bias, misunderstood human sexuality, racial inequality and disregard for workers’ rights. In a potentially deadly confrontation, August must employ mediation skills honed in the military to restore order in the community.

Yet, ever there is beauty. “Across the field, a doe stands on long, spindly legs—still as a statue in the rain... A motte of trees stands like a dark sentinel watching over the horizon.”

A PERSISTENT ECHO is a book of substance, relevant to current issues, and a story to savor.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. My review is voluntary and honest.