Testimonials

Having read The Tally Man by Tod Benjamin, I feel as if I know Charlie Stoker personally. This historical novel presents the lives of Charlie Stoker's family as well as many of his friends and acquaintances. The author describes the characters so well that the reader can discern the personality of each one. The biting tone of Margaret's voice, the stutter of Charlie's friend, Bobby, and the sweetness of Sally come alive in this narrative. The Tally Man is the second in the three-part series of the Stoker family by Mr. Benjamin. This book begins in the year 1931 and continues through the year 1941. These years include the besiege of Europe by Hitler and the author writes about the British Parliament's response to Hitler's war. As a reviewer, I did not research the British Parliamentary history to confirm the accuracy of this time period, but the other entries in this book about Britain's Monarchy was in fact correct. Since the author is British and his prose is in the Queen's English, some American readers may have a hard time understanding words not common to American English. However, with just a little common sense and application, readers will not have a problem understanding the text. The book seemed to have been thoroughly edited as I found only a couple of typos. There were references to sexual activity, but the writing was definitely guarded and worded as if speaking to an audience including adults and children. Very few curse words were used, and then only as it would have been expected in that particular situation. I found the cloaked sexual activity and scarce curse words refreshing in this era's overt and “expected” foul language. I thoroughly enjoyed this author's writing and will seek out other works by him. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical novels.

Millie Stoker has faced numerous catastrophes throughout her life, including the deaths of her father, brother, sister-in-law, and mother, as well as the death of her husband Charles. She is now a widow with a 15 year-old son, Charlie. She must shoulder the responsibility of training him alone, while taking over her late husband's business and paying off the mortgage on their house during the harsh economic years of the 1920’s. But she is determined that Charlie does should not follow in her husband's footsteps. Rather than taking over his cobbler business, the boy must attend a university and earn a degree in a respectable course. I commend Mr. Collick, Charles' former employer, for coming to the rescue of the Stoker family after Charles’ tragic death. I didn’t expect such kindness from him . He proved a good friend and companion to Millie, especially in the lonely days after Charlie got married and left home. And I enjoyed the game Charlie and his wife Margaret played with each other and how they stayed friends even after the crisis they encountered in their marriage. I love the manner of speech of every character and love the book’s settings. Charles and Charlie by Tod Benjamin was entertaining to read, and I am eager to read the second book in the Stoker trilogy.

Acceptance by Tod Benjamin is the third book in a trilogy of historical fiction. This book covers Great Britain's involvement in World War II through the life of the main character, Charlie Stoker. Starting the war as a common soldier, Charlie becomes a commando officer and will participate in the war in various scenarios. Although the other books detail the families and lives of several characters in this work in greater detail, this book can be understood if read on its own. What I liked most about this book was the author's perfect understanding of the conflict. In high school, I was obsessed with this conflict and have read over 100 books on the subject. I can say without exaggeration that the author, Tod Benjamin, made accurate analyses of the conflict from the Battle of Britain to Rommel's actions in Africa. You can see from the first page that he understands the subject very well. The fact that much of the book describes commandos' actions also helps to make the book fast-paced, dynamic, and exciting. The book has no defects worth mentioning. I found two grammatical errors: a word not capitalized and General Patton's name misspelled. Other than that, the book's editing is superb. Overall, Acceptance by Tod Benjamin is action-packed, fast-paced and intriguing. The author has combined his knowledge of conflict with his writing skills and created a work that is both enjoyable and exciting to read. Since there is nothing that I didn't like, I gladly rate it  5 out of 5 stars. I recommend this book to anyone interested in World War II. It is a delightful way to understand the conflict better. Regarding sexual content, there is nothing very explicit (due to something specific about the main character). Even so, there are many profane words, and the book should only be read by those over 18 years.

Charles and Charlie is a deeply affecting, elegantly crafted historical novel that explores the legacy of war, the fragility of genius, and the quiet devastation passed from father to son. Set across the early decades of the 20th century, the novel follows Charles Stoker a brilliant engineer whose promising future is derailed by the horrors of World War I and his son Charlie, who inherits not only his father’s name but also the emotional wreckage left in his wake. Your storytelling is poignant, layered, and emotionally resonant. Charles’s transformation from visionary inventor to broken veteran is rendered with haunting precision, while Milly’s posthumous search for the truth reveals the hidden costs of duty and silence. Charlie’s coming-of-age in 1928, shadowed by grief and temptation, mirrors his father’s trajectory until a crisis forces him to confront the weight of his inheritance. This is more than a family saga. It’s a meditation on trauma, identity, and the echoes of history. Charles and Charlie reminds us that the scars of war are not always visible and that the past, when buried, often finds its way to the surface.