Wonderings

In the summer of 1914 Europe is transformed by the outbreak of war. Within days the old norms are suddenly replaced by the demand to wage war against newly declared enemies bringing new and unpleasant realities. Gone are old certainties based on convention and law along with polite relationships and luxuries permitted by aesthetic sensibilities. In their place is uncertainty and the rising specter of destruction and disfigurement.

The new masters of this world are the generals charged with leading the armies. The accumulated power of these forces and the potential threat they represent to existing order propel the military hierarchy to positions of virtual leadership in their respective countries.  The aim of these war lords is the subjugation of their opposite numbers in as quick a time as possible. To that end all of  existing society becomes subordinate to their needs, with those who are able enlisted in the armies and the others forced to provide the goods and services necessary to sustain a war to its conclusion.

The Toll of Folly- the second in a series of historical fiction by J. William Whitaker – focuses on the events of those first months of the Great War from the perspective of those military leaders and their civilian enablers. It also focuses on the lives of four young French protagonists introduced in the first book of the series, Some Damn Fool Thing.

Of those four Robert d’Avillard finds himself as a chief engineering officer in a French army corps planning the deployment of troops to attack German positions in Lorraine near Nancy. His cousin Thomas who was in Strasbourg at the war’s outset finds his teaching position at the University abolished and  is protected only by his priesthood from the consequences of being an enemy alien.

Sara Morozovski finds herself in Germany as well at the war’s outbreak as manger of a bureau of a French owned newspaper. There is no clerical protection afforded her and she is forced underground to avoid interment. Her abettors subsequently provide a means to shield her from discovery while affording a possible escape from Germany.

The last and youngest of the four, Marie Bonneau finds the music which has been the focus of her years in Paris no longer relevant to a world with far harsher realities than the refined world that had defined her life as a pianist. In the faces of the wounded now streaming into the city she finds new inspiration for her considerable talents, leading her to assume increasingly important roles in helping to alleviate their suffering.

In the ensuing days all four most confront the consequences of folly and miscalculation of leaders on both sides. They will be required to devise the means to address the many difficulties they face while fighting to retain control of their emotions as they face unimagined destruction and human tragedy. Then through effort and good fortune they all find themselves reunited in a Paris threatened by engulfment by a massive German offensive. In those crucial days when France’s survival hangs on the outcome of a clash of forces within earshot of the city, they discover new meanings to their relationships to one another and the strength to confront an uncertain future.

The Toll of Folly is bounded by historic events and populated by important historic figures. It also sees those days from the perspective of four young Parisians fighting to sustain meaning and order in their lives during a time of chaos and uncertainty. Their perspective raises questions about evil and suffering and  whether even some of society’s  best can resist the corrosive effects of the dystopia  they are forced to live in and retain some of the old virtues that make life worth enduring.

J. William Whitaker’s The Toll of Folly is a rousing historical novel set in France and Germany during the first year of
World War I.
This sequel to Some Damn Fool Thing continues to follow Sara, Robert, Marie, and Thomas as they struggle to adjust
to a world ravaged by war, attempting to survive and make sense of their new realities.
Split into three sections, the book juggles its plot points and characters with aplomb, tackling a convoluted period of
history with deft credibility. The plot is tight, its tension turned up until it explodes. However, the book’s fixation on
military details undermines the emotional impact of some scenes.
Though the book’s language is most often straightforward, it includes flourishes, especially during moments of intense
emotion or danger. Such shifts amps up the sense of urgency and resonance when the war reaches its crescendo.
Several of the book’s conversations include long, eloquent speeches, though these make regular interactions sound
unnatural.
The Toll of Folly is a stirring historical novel that follows the struggles, fears, and triumphs of The Toll of Folly is stirring historical fiction that follows the struggles, fears and triumphs of four friends at the outset of World War I

The Toll of Folly is a gripping historical novel, the second in a series that follows the lives of four
Parisians during WWI’s first few months.
No knowledge of the previous book is needed. Author J. William Whitaker smoothly orients readers
as he introduces and follows his characters and their situations:
The author’s well-drawn protagonists’ lives are rich with drama, and they intersect in unusual ways.
The novel offers compelling characters, a dramatic backdrop, and easy-flowing chapters,
which historical fiction fans may appreciate.