Mystery, suspense, a beautiful setting in southern Germany, and a distinctly therapeutic romance, along with a host of literary allusions, give this book a unique voice and intrigue.
It is the late 1960s. Cold war tensions and the Vietnam conflict dominate the media. John Bluderin, a drafted, dejected nineteen-year-old army specialist, has been assigned to military intelligence in Germany. Fluent in German and absorbed into the social fabric of Schwäbisch Gmünd, no one would ever suspect him of doing anything out of the ordinary. Specialist Bluderin is about to prove everyone wrong.
As John begins his first assignment, he meets Leda Beschwörung, a petite, dedicated agent able to jump twenty yards at a clip and infiltrate the enemy seamlessly. Leda, a practitioner of Gestalt psychology, makes Bluderin feel worthy again and becomes the catalyst in his coming-of-age journey, changing his life forever. Under Leda's diligent mentoring, Bluderin's perception of human nature sharpens. He soon encounters Günter Mann, a clairvoyant shepherd whose advice leads him to a Norwegian goddess. Solveig Evensen introduces him to a new world of emotional, intellectual, and erotic passion where both learn to transcend their past barriers. But it is Bluderin's final assignment that places his life on the edge of death.
In Green Sleep is a compelling tale of one man's philosophical voyage to seek and understand the truth in a world riddled with deception.
Excerpt
Gray, almost transparent clouds drifted below him, sparse as trails
of smoke, comings and goings, in shimmering blue light. I pointed
out some images (remnants of ghosts? robes of the departed? long
bearded prophets?), and we exchanged a few glances without saying
a word. It seemed that his frozen eyelids told me he saw nothing
profound, mysterious, or beautiful in the airy terrain. Or was it that
the wonders of nature and the achievements of fl ight were nothing
more than a dimple in a black hole?
What John Bluderin thought would not be stated in words. He
avoided casual conversation, a trait that irritated his fellow soldiers.
Yet the tiny beads of sweat on the borders of his trimmed, blond
hair, the way he cupped his hands on his lap as if he were holding a
chalice, and the pulsations stemming from his long distance runner’s
frame all told me he could be feeling the anxiety one has when a
plane fl ies into downdraft, causing turbulence, and drops a few
thousand feet.
“Your self-imposed exile into silence has already caused you
trouble,” I said. “I thought you would learn from that experience.”
He looked at me, biting his lip. He knew damned well what I
was talking about.
Professional Reviews
A First Rate Thriller
5.0 out of 5 stars A first-rate thriller., June 12, 2011
By James Thayer (Seattle, Washington) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME) This review is from: In Green Sleep: A Tour of Duty (Paperback)
From the first page, the reader knows something big is at stake, yet doesn't know quite what it is. One of the author's great skills is the shifting perception; some things the hero Bluderin experiences are real, others might not be. It's a terrific kaleidoscope of images. Bluderin is a superbly-crafted hero--reminiscent of John LeCarre's George Smiley--and the reader roots for him all the way. The setting--postwar Germany--is excellently rendered, and is a fascinating part of the novel. The action is pedal-to-the-metal. This is a compelling thriller.
Nothing Sleepy About This Tour
by James A. Levin
For those of you (like me) that enjoy finding new and distinctively unique authors, I can strongly recommend Jerry Ackerman's novel, In Green Sleep - A Tour of Duty.
A period piece set around the chaos of the Vietnam War, this story is told through the impressionable eyes and mind of a young GI stationed in Germany, and follows his progression as a novice within the US intelligence community, while also mapping his life in a parallel path within Germany society as that rare soldier that could speak the native language fluently.
Loaded with cultural and geographic reference points, Ackerman's story informs and entertains the reader on many aspects of life at that turbulent time -- both from the German and American societal landscape , and particularly as it relates to the younger generation of that time coming of age.
Make no mistake, this book is crafted beautifully, with some remarkable scenes and stunning imagery, but it is also chock full of sex, drugs, music and art (definitively in that order). As evidence of the author's remarkable touch...
"Seagulls glided in low circles around the island beyond her face. The name Sarah was printed on the sandy bank, inscribed using a stick of driftwood. He could not get closer, could not go further, to touch her lips or smell her sunburned hair. To discipline his senses and devote them solely to his survival, he would have to let her go. He hadn't yet, but he was getting close."
For fans of Stieg Larsson, I feel confident in saying that Mr. Ackerman will challenge your senses (and imagination) in a manner consistent with Larsson's now famous novels.
Perfect for a summer read or a five hour plane ride, it is my hope that this review tips the balance as you decide upon your next download for Kindle or iPad. Greatly look forward to this author's future work.....
Black Leather and Blue Denim, A '50s Novel is adult literature for anyone who likes 1950s' teen culture. BL&BD has been given a 5 Star Rating by ebookpalace.com and by Midwest Review
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