AS A GOOD SOLDIER opens with Andre volunteering for a mission that isn't clear at first, but quickly becomes that way. He is going to be born on earth, he must live the life of a good Christian but he will have no memory of his life in heaven. He is born, the oldest son of three children, to parents who live in the woods of Tyler, Texas. He is an excellent student but tends to be a loner. Andre feels that he is going to do something stupid and make people laugh at him and so he opts to spend his time alone or with his cousins. Somehow, he manages to get laughed at anyway. Finally he joins the military and marries Cynthia, a divorcee with a child who doesn't live with them. He is aware that Cynthia is running the show and it irritates him but he is doing his best to be a good person. He knows he should be living a certain kind of life and he tries but since he is human, he frequently fails. Will his marriage survive and will Andre successfully complete his mission on this earth?
AS A GOOD SOLDIER by Keith A. Anderson is a different kind of book. There is the hint of other-worldliness as well as the human equation. It is well written and Andre is developed well so his difficulties with his self-esteem and his issues with his father are perfectly understandable. I found myself pushing him to complete his mission successfully. In all, it was a very interesting book to read.
Reviewed by Alice Holman of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers
