Take a moment and read these totally independent editorial reviews of Good Endeavour – my most recent historical novel. They will give a real insight into the value of this engaging and inspiring book. As you can imagine, I was delighted with these insights and accolades. I hope all readers are so inspired. Ned Tillman

The Story of America in a Family Farm – Ramsey Hanhan, Author, Fugitive Dreams

A family farm in the backwaters of Maryland. Ned Tillman turns its multi-generational saga into the story of a nation. Avid reader of history that I am, I long for books such as this that tell the personal story in history, animating its dormant stage with characters much like ourselves. Tillman does this, and does it well in Good Endeavour.

While reading it, I lived with the family, generation after generation, sharing their kitchen table and concerns, their joys and sorrows. The farm’s layout became my own memory. On that ledge overlooking the Gunpowder Falls, I sat with one or another character, contemplating our interdependence on nature. For this book is not only a history of people, but a natural history of the land – the soil, the trees, the shrubs, mushrooms, and wildlife, and the impact generations of human life has had on them. The trip West loses me in a poetry of nature, its beauty, and its power to heal and nurture the spirit.

The main line of characters model America’s best self – a self that has to be reinvented every generation. The idealized vision does not obscure America’s shortcomings. The book is rife with scenes of exploitation, violence, slavery, and war. At every turn, the characters have choices to make, and the choices they make as individuals ultimately come to shape America. That is Tillman’s empowering message throughout. Tillman conveys a sense of urgency by making the characters speak and think as we do today. On some pages, I thought I was reading a story set in modern-day America.

What lessons can we learn from the past? Every generation has faced choices. It is up to us to choose wisely. As a fairly recent immigrant yearning to understand America, I find this book an illuminating gift.

“Most relevant to today’s social needs.” Rev. Msgr. Richard H.Tillman
I like the honesty and candor of the author. Even though the book is a historical novel and, therefore contains fiction the predominant truth that it conveys tells a story most relevant to today’s social needs.

“The book inspires readers to think more deeply about their own past.” George Berkheimer, The Business Monthly

“Ned’s books engage readers in caring about our past, our impact on our planet, and how to deal with the moral challenges we face today.” George Clack, The Little Patuxent Review

“I highly recommend it.” Tracey Manning-Professor University of Maryland
Reminiscent of Edward Rutherford’s or James Michener’s books but on a more accessible scale. Good Endeavour is a great read, hard to put down, and draws the reader in to care about the characters and the issues they deal with.

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