Reviewed by Jamie Michele for Readers' Favorite
Thomas and Michael by Brice follows Michael Treseler, who grows up in Indianapolis as the son of an economics professor and a nurse, excelling in school while remaining unaware of a decision made in Germany before his birth. After Pearl Harbor, he leaves Indiana University, accepts an Army commission, and enters combat with the Third Infantry Division. His service takes him from North Africa to Sicily, Italy, southern France, and into Germany, where he advances from platoon leader to company commander and later serves at regimental headquarters due to his command of German. As Allied forces charge through what's left of cities, Michael inches closer to the circumstances that shaped him. The war draws together his family history and military duty, placing his private past on the same path.
Thomas and Michael by Brice is a really well-written and heartening story of a man finding out who he is under extraordinary circumstances. Brice does a fantastic job of fleshing Michael out as a character. We get a genuine understanding of his early life in Midwestern schools and church routines, before he pushes for Army service, in an easy-to-follow continuity. The combat scenes are brilliant. It's so clear that the author has done extensive research by the pitch-perfect way the story leans into operational detail, training cycles, unit command changes, and logistical pauses, which situate the action in a believable institutional reality. It's also interesting to see how Michael's German fluency leads to interrogation work, and the treatment of occupation duty in Schweinfurt pulls us into little-known but imperative tasks. Overall, this is an exceptional work of historical military fiction. Very highly recommended.
Reviewed by Romuald Dzemo for Readers' Favorite
Thomas and Michael by Brice is a military history novel that follows the lives of two brothers separated by distance, war, and circumstance. Michael Treseler is a young American soldier from Indianapolis who learns of his adopted twin brother, Thomas, in Germany. Their mother died shortly after giving birth to them in Germany, after World War I. Michael joins the military and becomes a Lieutenant in the 3rd Infantry Division, on a mission that takes him across Europe. His journey will lead to a painful discovery about the fate of his brother in a twist you won't see coming.
Brice cleverly examines the concept of war and its effects on those involved, especially the soldiers. I enjoyed the suspense infused into the story with the subplot about Thomas. Thomas and Michael is a tale that has characters I sympathized with, especially Michael, who evolves from a curious boy into a battle-hardened soldier. He is genuinely flawed, and his love for his brother and the desire to see him motivates him. The author creates a setting that is vividly drawn, from the 20th-century American Midwest to the war-torn landscapes of Europe, and explores the German-American immigrant traditions. You'll be immersed in places like the farms of Westphalia and the locales of Indianapolis. This author makes you experience the war, feel the pain of the soldiers, and the despair and hope of the characters. The short chapters and gorgeous prose make the story even more enjoyable.
