Books like A Train to Potevka

I have a unique perspective on this book for two reasons: the first is that the author is my dad's best friend. The second is that I was the editor for this book. My dad and Mike Ramsdell served in the military together in Finland and Russia. My dad went to Finland on an LDS mission and has worked with the National Guard as a Russian linguist. When Mike decided to write this book, he had no real writing experience. He just wrote down his memories of these amazing experiences, in the same way that you would write in a journal. They were disjointed, scattered, with oddly-timed flashbacks, etc. My dad suggested that I help him edit the book, since I have a degree in English and had experience working on magazine staffs and editing both academic papers and fiction. I worked with Mike, but like many first-time authors, he had a hard time separating himself emotionally from the text in order to make necessary changes. So, while I felt like I helped him improve the book quite a bit, I was not completely happy with the end result. The story is truly amazing, but be aware that it is not professional writing. It doesn't read like a regular action novel. FYI--Mike himself drew the picture on the cover.