In my own little way, I'm going to call this Susan Travers, episode 2. As I read through her memoir, she mentioned this was one of her favorite books. It was one of the things that sparked her interest in the French Foreign Legion, so I was interested in picking it up. It's in the public domain, so it wasn't hard to find.
I don't want to say much about the plot of this book, but I was hooked from the start. A man is talking to a friend on a train about an encounter he had in the desert. A strange sight in a fort has him wracking his brain for answers to impossible questions. Soon, the story crosses over to a close friend and a mysterious jewel. From there, the story takes a lot of unexpected twists and turns. I LOVE unexpected twists and turns. Especially when they're this well done.
I had no idea until I went to write this review that there had been a few films made from this book. One in 1939 starring Gary Cooper and another in 1966 with Guy Stockwell. I have to say that I'm glad I didn't know about the films before I read the book. For some reason, it felt more like a hidden gem when I was reading it.
This was a real joy to read. I was intrigued from the beginning and had trouble putting it down so I wouldn't strain my eyes. It's not an "everyone makes it out" kind of story, but it makes more sense with what the characters are going through. I mourned for the losses and rejoiced with the victories. I loved this book. It's the way I wish all the books I read lately had been. It was engrossing, and it felt like I was reading another autobiography at times. It made the impossible possible and explained the mystery in such a clever and interesting way. Can't recommend it enough. Great Book!
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