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Random Acts Of Heroic Love [Paperback]

Danny Scheinmann
3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (131 customer reviews)
RRP: �7.99
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Book Description

1 Jan 2008

1992: Leo Deakin wakes up in a hospital somewhere in South America, his girlfriend Eleni is dead and Leo doesn't know where he is or how Eleni died. He blames himself for the tragedy and is sucked into a spiral of despair. But Leo is about to discover something which will change his life forever.

1917: Moritz Daniecki is a fugitive from a Siberian POW camp. Seven thousand kilometres over the Russian Steppes separate him from his village and his sweetheart, whose memory has kept him alive through carnage and captivity. The Great War may be over, but Moritz now faces a perilous journey across a continent riven by civil war. When Moritz finally limps back into his village to claim the hand of the woman he left behind, will she still be waiting?

Danny Scheinmann paints a dramatic portrait of two men sustaining their lives through the memory of love. Cinematic and brimming with raw emotions, it is the magnificent and emotive debut from a remarkable new writer.


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Product details

  • Paperback: 432 pages
  • Publisher: Black Swan; 1st Black Swan edition edition (1 Jan 2008)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0552774227
  • ISBN-13: 978-0552774222
  • Product Dimensions: 19.4 x 12.8 x 2.8 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (131 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 31,979 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Product Description

Review

"Tender and insightful" (Observer)

"Two strikingly different tales of love and grief are gradually revealed to have more in common than just the tenactiy of both men to cling desperately to the memory of love... a lush, romantic novel" (Daily Mail)

"Really is as special as its press suggests... beautifully told... an amazingly assured debut" (Sunday Express)

"This riveting novel is an unforgettable tale of two men sustained by love in times of conflict" (The Lady)

"A tour de force... mesmerizing" (Publishing News)

Book Description

Can love outwit death? A heartbreaking epic story of two lives sustained by the memory of love

Inside This Book (Learn More)
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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
226 of 239 people found the following review helpful
By Brida TOP 500 REVIEWER VINE VOICE
Format:Paperback
RANDOM ACTS OF HEROIC LOVE is a fantastic debut novel by a very talented writer. Scheinmann spent six years writing his debut, and as you read, you can certainly see how it could be viewed as a labour of love. I think this book has been a cathartic experience for Scheinmann, and it just so happens to be a tremendous piece of work.

The book esentially follows two stories - one is of Mortiz Daniecki in 1917. As a survivor of the war, he is captured and put into a POW camp. Yet this is not where his story ends, for what keeps Mortiz fighting to get through the war and back home is the young love he has left behind there, Lotte. Before Moritz heads off to be a soldier, they share a kiss together and it is this kiss that spurs Moritz on; the memory of her sustains him and gives him reason to live. Once he escapes from the camp, Moritz then faces an arduous journey walking his way home, to his love and the life he had before.
The second story is set in 1992 and follows Leo Deakin. At the age of 25, Leo wakes up in hospital having survived a crash whilst travelling in South America. Upon waking, Leo discovers that his girlfriend Eleni did not survive the crash, but he cannot remember anything about it. As he struggles to rebuild his memory of what happened, whilst coming to terms with his loss, you follow him on this journey.

Through these two stories, Scheinmann has managed to explore the many issues of bereavement, love, survival, hope and travelling on physical aswell as philosophical journies in great depth and to great effect. Even if you have never lost a loved one, or been separated from your love, I am sure that you will be able to appreciate and understand the power of the emotions behind this extraordinary novel.
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Depends on what you expect from a novel. 25 May 2009
Format:Paperback
Personally, I feel that the difference in reviews is down to what you expect from a book. Initially I was a bit dumbfounded by the book, it does seem to kind of, not lead anywhere, and I was initally quite bemused by the two stories merged into one (i.e. one chapter one story, the next a different story). However, as I read the book on holiday I managed to get really stuck into it, and found it incredibly enchanting, a book that really showed insight into two quite contrasting stories. There were a few cliche's, but hey, cliches are only used because they are so good! I found the writing very honest and although a few parts of the novel were not accurate, you have to put that aside and get lost in this amazing book! read it as a person, not as a book critic - and you'll love it!
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88 of 96 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars An Absorbing Read 14 Feb 2008
Format:Paperback
I loved this book from the first page right through to the last. It is essentially two stories in one novel and I was totally hooked from the first page. Each story was thoroughly absorbing and appear to be completely separate from each other (one is set in 1917 the other in 1995, one is a Russian solider and one is an English student) and the ending is absolutely fitting in their conclusion. Brilliantly written - each of the two narrative voices remain seperate throughout the book and each are thoroughly convincing.

If you are a romantic person, or you are looking for some validation of your own love for someone or if you are just a plain old believer in the power of love this is the book for you. It is a love story that isn't a sex story and is passionate without being slushy. I would recommend it to romantics and hard-hearts alike.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
The book deals with the aftermath of the death of a loved one and how people cope( or don't). We have on one hand the story of a young man distraught after his girlfriend is killed in a road accident in South America. This is the part I liked least.Leo's reactions seem over the top, I have been lucky so far and haven't lost anyone who hadn't reached a reasonable age but I have helped friends who have lost partners and husbands to cancer and however angry they were, however much they needed to dwell on the good old times and however much they found themselves betrayed by 'fate ' they simply never acted the way he did and Leo's reactions simply failed to convince me. I was even very annoyed with him at times.
On the other hand I found the story of Moritz and his love for Lotte extraordinary and very moving. To learn that it was actually partly true seemed unbelievable.That a young man who had gone to fight the Russians during the first world war and who had been captured and sent to a camp in Siberia could actually find the strength and determination to walk back to his hometown because he wanted to be reunited to the girl he loved defies imagination. That he went on with it and that it took him three years to achieve his goal, that he never lost faith and that he survived the ordeal is stupendous.That part of the book is really worth reading. What a pity the other part spoils the book!
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20 of 22 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars Doesn't live up to the hype 30 Mar 2008
By DW
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Having read the rave reviews on this site, I've come to the conclusion that I must have missed something. The description of Moritz's trek across Siberia is admittedly pretty gripping, but unfortunately is relegated to second place by the modern day exploration of Leo's grief following the sudden death of his girlfriend. I'm sure there is something of value in terms of exploring the difficult subject of bereavement within the pages of this book, but it is buried beneath clumsy prose and a cast of paper thin supporting characters that it is impossible to care about. The 'physicist' spouting cod philosophy is particularly cringeworthy, and the renewal of the relationship between Leo's parents came a close second.

Incidentally, I'm quite confused as to how Leo gained the ability to understand Polish and read the letters in the space of a few days. I kept expecting this new found skill to be explained in the last few pages, but was left scratching my head at the end.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars Was sorry to reach the end
I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a good story well written. The plot is so cleverly woven that you really do not want to put it down.
Published 1 month ago by MRS A BARLOW
5.0 out of 5 stars random acts of heroic love
Have never before written a review and may never again - At last a real story - not quite a perfect book but I adore it and have reread it several times and recommended to friends... Read more
Published 4 months ago by ambermarie
5.0 out of 5 stars interacting stories
This is a lovely read. The first part quite devastating right from the beginning, it is beautifully written and the two stories, past and present, interweave well.
Published 6 months ago by Mrs Lofts
5.0 out of 5 stars A deeply moving, sometimes funny and often terrifyingly insightful...
What a wonderfully crafted tale. I couldn't help but be drawn into the scenes and feelings so beautifully illustrated in both words and pictures. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Angela
4.0 out of 5 stars Sub-Atomic Dancing
Leo is an entomologist - studying the sex life of ants. He goes travelling with his girlfriend. In Ecuador they are involved in a bus accident. Eleni dies. Read more
Published 7 months ago by gerardpeter
5.0 out of 5 stars A MUST READ!
This is a truely wonderful book and I strongly reccomend anyone who loves a good story to read it. It captures the strength and subtleties of the human spirt beautifully. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Sarah
5.0 out of 5 stars Passion and griefe
This book was a reason to turn of the tv and read! It touches on love ,history and grief with all its brutalities . I'd recommend this to all my friends and family.
Published 9 months ago by Sally Bushnell
5.0 out of 5 stars great read
This book is semi autobiographical apparently, it's two seemingly separate stories set in different time periods. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Gillian W
4.0 out of 5 stars left with a warm feeling
I would describe this book figuratively like a tuning fork - 2 lines of a story which come together like a fork/junction and then you see the connection - voila! Read more
Published 12 months ago by aragorn17
2.0 out of 5 stars Too sweet...
This is a rather sickly romantic novel. It focusses on two people affected by grief and their ways of coping. Read more
Published 15 months ago by Craig Hall
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