By James Scott Bell
Bethany House
Paperback

It’s 1916 in the small town of Zenith, Nebraska. Doyle Lawrence, the eldest born son of a prominent lawyer, is considering the future. His parents believe his path is set with Princeton waiting and all the trappings of success he’ll inherit from his father.

Doyle is rebellious. After all, what if he doesn’t want to practice law? He thinks he's in love with Zenobia (Zee) Miller, daughter of a preacher from a lower social class. His father forbids him to spend time with Zee. Her father forbids her to be alone with any boy. Just about everyone in town sees him marrying Betty Warren, a beautiful but plastic girl from his own social rung. Doyle isn’t so sure.

He proposes to Zee and asks her to run away with him. Although she admits that she loves him, she tells him that she wants to be an actress and that she’d never interfere with his dream of being a lawyer. Before Doyle can protest wholeheartedly, Zee runs away.

Glimpses of Paradise Excerpt Was she some sort of bad seed? No. He knew her too well to believe that. But a restless seed, perhaps. Someone for whom being tied down, in domesticity, would be like a death sentence. A sudden, deep sense of loss spilled over him. It felt like death. Of innocence perhaps. On the cusp of grown-up life, it suddenly seemed to Doyle that it was going to be a lot darker out there, away from this town that had been his home. Things weren’t going to be certain. And that was disconcerting. He wanted Zee with him. Needed her. © James Scott Bell Published with permission

Doyle unexpectedly joins the service to help fight the big war. As he does, he’s still thinking about Zee. In Europe, he eventually tells himself to forget her.

A soldier friend, Alvin Beaker, hails from Tennessee and can shoot anything. He’s paired with Doyle and the two are asked to enter dangerous German territory ahead of the other soldiers. When Alvin is killed, wounded Doyle blames himself and stumbles headlong into self-hatred as a civilian.

Young, idealistic Doyle is consumed by his new personality, an angry, cynical man prone to violence and shaking his fist at God.

Doyle lands in Los Angeles where he runs into Zee, the next big thing who has changed her name to Taylor Layne. He’s ashamed to be seen by her but agrees to stop by some time to see her.

Zee isn't happy about much in her life. She's gone from hungry actress to spoiled, tantrum throwing celebrity. Her road is strewn with men who want to take advantage of her. She becomes familiar with the shadiness of life and emerges jaded.

Bookworm's Briefing
Glimpses of Paradise is a long, long novel. At four hundred plus pages, it's not a book for the casual reader. However, it's one of the best stories you'll ever read and it's written to keep pulling the reader into the story.

The characters are believable. The twists keep the story lively.

At the end of the story, you'll half expect the characters to stand before you and take a bow. This book is highly recommended reading for any fiction lover.

James Scott Bell is the author of many books, including Blind Justice, The Nephilim Seed and Final Witness. He's known for writing expert courtroom drama. Winner of The Christy Award for excellence in Christian Fiction, Bell resides in Los Angeles with his wife.