{"id":1226,"date":"2024-12-03T13:13:00","date_gmt":"2024-12-03T13:13:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/?p=1226"},"modified":"2024-12-03T13:13:00","modified_gmt":"2024-12-03T13:13:00","slug":"book-review-goodbye-bobby","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/?p=1226","title":{"rendered":"Book Review: Goodbye Bobby"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-media-text alignwide is-stacked-on-mobile\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-background\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-vertical is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-1 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-text-color has-large-font-size\"><strong><em>Goodbye Bobby<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-regular-font-size\">by J.J. Harrigan<\/p>\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>Genre:<\/strong> Historical Fiction \/ Thriller<\/p>\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>ISBN: <\/strong>9781949357790<\/p>\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>Print Length:<\/strong> 354 pages<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"align-button-center ub-buttons orientation-button-row 1 wp-block-ub-button\">\n<div class=\"ub-button-container\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3ZwZ23s\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"ub-button-block-main ub-button-medium   ub-button-flex-medium\" rel=\"noopener\">\n<div class=\"ub-button-content-holder\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"ub-button-icon-holder\">\n<p>\t\t\t<\/p><\/span><span class=\"ub-button-block-btn\">Buy from Amazon<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t<\/p><\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><em>Reviewed by Tomi Alo<\/em><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"ub_advanced_heading wp-block-ub-advanced-heading\"><strong><\/strong><strong><\/strong><strong><\/strong><strong><\/strong><strong><\/strong><strong><\/strong><strong><\/strong><strong><\/strong><strong><\/strong><strong><\/strong><strong><\/strong><strong><\/strong><strong><\/strong><strong>An exhilarating trip through some significant historical events in 1968<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>A clever spin on American history, <em>Goodbye Bobby <\/em>is an emotional tribute to national leader and icon, Robert \u201cBobby\u201d F. Kennedy.<\/p>\n<p>In this historical retelling, we\u2019re taken on a fast-paced journey of political intrigue, patriotism, personal conflict, loss, and sacrifice. The story follows Charles Parnell, a successful fund manager and former Army veteran, over the course of four intense months\u2014March to June 1968\u2014as he is recruited to perform a dangerous mission on behalf of Bobby Kennedy.<\/p>\n<p>His mission? To act as a secret messenger between Kennedy and Ho Chi Minh, the leader of North Vietnam, where the contents of this message have the potential to end the Vietnam War. The stakes couldn\u2019t be higher. If Charles is caught, he could be arrested for treason or be killed by the enemy for being a spy.<\/p>\n<p><span><\/span><\/p>\n<p>At first, Charlie is reluctant. With his wife\u2019s recent passing, he is the only one left to care for his adopted daughter Angelita and finds it senseless to risk his life for something so dangerous and pointless, consequently leaving Angela to fend for herself.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>However, when he witnesses Bobby Kennedy\u2019s powerful speech in the wake of Martin Luther King Jr.\u2019s assassination, it becomes impossible to ignore the gravity of the situation and the role he could play to change things.<\/p>\n<p>With poignant characters and a propulsive plot, <em>Goodbye Bobby<\/em> captures the chaotic period of 1968 where political ideals, personal beliefs, and national interests collide. It\u2019s a tense, thought-provoking story that creatively blends history with fiction.<\/p>\n<p>Despite being based on real prominent figures, author JJ Harrigan doesn\u2019t just provide a one-dimensional portrayal of historical characters; he crafts them with complexity through personal struggles and their own unique traits. Bobby Kennedy is not merely a political figure; he\u2019s a man grappling with the responsibilities of making things right, the loss of his brothers, and the hope of ending a brutal war.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Charles Parnell is not just a secret messenger or a money manager. He\u2019s a father grieving the loss of his wife, dealing with the guilt of moving on, and finding the time to care for the sweetest, smartest child. Despite the chaos of it all going on, Charlie always tries his best to ensure Angela isn\u2019t neglected and is well-cared for, even if that means bringing her on some of these high-stakes trips as he continues to build a bond with her. I adored their relationship and always looked forward to spending time with this father-daughter duo.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Simply by knowing American history, we know how things will play out, but Harrigan still manages to keep the tension alive. There\u2019s urgency in the story as we\u2019re drawn into Charles\u2019s mission and left with questions on how he will navigate the scene as an unofficial, under-the-radar political diplomat and what it will ultimately cost him. Through this careful build-up, we\u2019re reminded that while history might be fixed, the emotions, fears, and sacrifices of those who lived through these defining yet tumultuous times were anything but predictable.<\/p>\n<p>Overall, <em>Goodbye Bobby, <\/em>the second installment in the Goodbye series, is a smart, gripping historical thriller that entertains and re-educates its readers on pivotal moments in American history.<\/p>\n<div class=\"align-button-center ub-buttons orientation-button-row 1 wp-block-ub-button\">\n<div class=\"ub-button-container\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3ZwZ23s\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"ub-button-block-main ub-button-medium   ub-button-flex-medium\" rel=\"noopener\">\n<div class=\"ub-button-content-holder\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"ub-button-icon-holder\">\n<p>\t\t\t<\/p><\/span><span class=\"ub-button-block-btn\">Buy from Amazon<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t<\/p><\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Thank you for reading Tomi Alo\u2019s book review of<em> Goodbye Bobby <\/em>by J.J. Harrigan! If you liked what you read, please spend some more time with us at the links below.<\/p>\n<div class=\"align-button-center ub-buttons orientation-button-row 1 wp-block-ub-button\">\n<div class=\"ub-button-container\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/independentbookreview.com\/category\/book-review\/\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"ub-button-block-main ub-button-medium   ub-button-flex-medium\" rel=\"noopener\">\n<div class=\"ub-button-content-holder\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"ub-button-icon-holder\">\n<p>\t\t\t<\/p><\/span><span class=\"ub-button-block-btn\">Book Reviews<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t<\/p><\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"ub-button-container\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/independentbookreview.com\/category\/blog\/\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"ub-button-block-main ub-button-medium   ub-button-flex-medium\" rel=\"noopener\">\n<div class=\"ub-button-content-holder\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"ub-button-icon-holder\">\n<p>\t\t\t<\/p><\/span><span class=\"ub-button-block-btn\">IBR Blog<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t<\/p><\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"ub-button-container\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/independentbookreview.com\/writers-only\/\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"ub-button-block-main ub-button-medium   ub-button-flex-medium\" rel=\"noopener\">\n<div class=\"ub-button-content-holder\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"ub-button-icon-holder\">\n<p>\t\t\t<\/p><\/span><span class=\"ub-button-block-btn\">Resources for Writers<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t<\/p><\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The post <a href=\"https:\/\/independentbookreview.com\/2024\/12\/03\/book-review-goodbye-bobby\/\">Book Review: Goodbye Bobby<\/a> appeared first on <a href=\"https:\/\/independentbookreview.com\/\">Independent Book Review<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Goodbye Bobby by J.J. Harrigan Genre: Historical Fiction \/ Thriller ISBN: 9781949357790 Print Length: 354 pages Buy from Amazon Reviewed by Tomi Alo An exhilarating trip through some significant historical events in 1968 A clever spin on American history, Goodbye Bobby is an emotional tribute to national leader and icon, Robert \u201cBobby\u201d F. Kennedy. In [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":1227,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1226","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bookreviews"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1226"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1226"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1226\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1227"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1226"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1226"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1226"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}