All the Broken Angels

Finalist for the upcoming 2024 Royal Palm Literary Awards from the Florida Writers Association."Younger audiences will appreciate the richness of Americana, and older audiences will be kissed by nostalgia in All The Broken Angels." - Indies Today, five-star review Travel back to when Barbie dolls and G.I. Joe were all the rage, Gloria Steinem rose to fame, and women burned bras as men marched off to war. History unfolds as women's rights, faith, patriotism, the dawn of gay liberation, and the treatment of Vietnam veterans take center stage in this captivating journey through a pivotal era that resonates with today's troubling times. Albie's in Paradise. Cate's in Hell. Paradise is a military base along the South China Sea in Vietnam, and Hell is the Hell's Kitchen district of New York. But life didn't start that way for Cate and Albie, cousins and best friends who grew up together in 1960s New Jersey. Raised under the watchful eye of their family and the nuns in their Catholic school, they drift apart as the war rages. Albie is gung-ho for God and country, while Cate rebels against her religious upbringing, protests the war, and yearns for the tie-dye and bell-bottoms counterculture of New York's Greenwich Village. Tragedy strikes and Cate's world turns upside down, but an eclectic group of newfound friends rallies to her side. Cate's quest for purpose and meaning becomes one of encouragement, resilience, and transformation. If you're a fan of Susan Meissner or Kristin Hannah, All the Broken Angels is for you. Fantastic themes and discussion topics for your book club! Editorial Reviews: "Black-Gould and Hardiman's work manages to carve out territory that feels contemporary by not shying away from issues that resonate today-including the treatment of LGBTQ+ people and the divisiveness a war can foment within a country-which are as relevant right now as they ever were. ... Succeed[s] in crafting characters who are memorable enough to keep readers locked in and to stick with them beyond the final page. Cate, in particular, travels an arc that satisfies both in its literary aims and its emotional resonance. A well-rendered examination of the Vietnam War on the home front." - Kirkus Reviews "Society shifts, presidents come and go, and childhood lands in the rearview mirror, but readers will be struck by how often history repeats itself, putting a shiny new spin on the same old problems. ... In addition to a well-rounded plot, clever wordplay, and genuine conversations, audiences will love the dynamic cast. ... Racism, feminism, religionism, heroism, and patriotism synthesize into a beautiful story of loyalty and tenacity. Younger audiences will appreciate the richness of Americana, and older audiences will be kissed by nostalgia in All The Broken Angels." - Indies Today, five-star review "The narrative brings joy, sorrow, and gladness ... as the story reaches its unexpected and unusual end. ... Leaves the reader relating to the characters on a very personal level. ... Thank you to the authors for this wonderful, inspiring book. It is much appreciated and well worth more than one read." - Readers' Favorite, five-star review