The New Frontier

The American Chronicles #8

by Robert Vaughan

Joining Mississippi's Freedom Riders, proud African-American Deon Booker begins a devastating journey, accompanied by heiress Alicia Canfield, whose new law degree fails to protect her from racial violence.

312 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1995

About the author

Robert Vaughan is an American writer. He has also written a series of contemporary and historical romance novels under several pseudonyms including "Paula Moore" and "Paula Fairman". His father served in the military and Robert followed him in the 1950s, entering army aviation. He served until the Vietnam War and won numerous medals including the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Purple Heart, the Bronze Star, the Air Medal with several oak-leaf clusters, the Meritorious Service Medal, and several other medals.
His early books reflected his military background: the first novel was about the US Army along the DMZ in Korea, followed by a trilogy set in Vietnam. There are more than 9 million of his books in print under various names. He was inducted into the Writers’ Hall of Fame in 1998.

Reviews

[Andie]

This is the eighth book in s series of a family, loosely based on the Danforths of St. Louis, and their rise to power with their cereal company and their influence on American life in the twentieth century. I found this interesting as I lived in S. Louis for thierty year asnd could easily discern on whom the characters were based, although the plotlines strained credulity several times.

[Theresa]

The continuing story opens in 1961 with Bob Parker being given written notice that he is to report to Vietnam for a 3-month assignment and learning that his wife has taken his twin 4-year old sons and is about to divorce him.

Morgan Canfield, son of John Canfield and grandson of Bob Canfield, is taking a vacation at the family vacation home in Florida before setting off to Ecuador to serve in the Peace Corp. After a run on the beach, he meets Sheri Warren a lingerie model, single mother and aspiring clothing designer. Sheri heads to New York to begin her career as a clothing designer and the two begin corresponding with each other via mail.

Alicia Canfield, Morgan’s sister, is finishing her law degree and joins with Deon Booker and two others as Freedom Riders in Mississippi. The four are terrorized and find themselves involved in a trial whose outcome may not bring about justice.

Once again, the stories are well written, but at this point, I’m finding the introduction of so many characters has left me not caring enough about the characters because I haven’t been able to get to know them very well. I do think he conveyed the hope and turmoil brought on by the Civil Rights Movement and the US’s entry into war with Vietnam.

While this story does have a stronger focus on the Canfield family via the story of Alicia and the Freedom Riders, this is the first that we’ve really met her. Kerry O’Baugh is re-introduced as a Mafia loan shark who gets involved with Sheri Warren. I also believe the story opened with a continuity error in that when we last heard about Bob Parker it was 1959 and at the time he didn’t have any children, which means that he couldn’t have 4-year old twin sons in 1961 – 2-year old twins, mayber.