Benjamin’s Field Trilogy by J.J. Knights

"As a reader, as I turned the last page, I was left needing to order the next book in this trilogy to continue the journey with Benjamin, his daughter-in-law, Eleanor, grandson, Jeremy, the priest, Templeman and friends Sarah and Hiram.Theirs is the story of many a family, but the telling here feels fresh, never trite and always with candor." - Goodreads, Betsy

Description:

Book #1: Rescue

Forward by retired NASA astronaut Jay Apt, PhD, veteran of four space shuttle missions.

Benjamin’s Field: Rescue’ has been awarded a five-star review by the literary site ‘Reader’s Favorite’ (readersfavorite.com).

Benjamin’s Field follows a rural farm family over the course of sixty years from the viewpoint of the youngest member, Jeremy Kyner. Beginning with America’s entry into World War I, Jeremy and his family are followed through war, peace, triumph, tragedy, heartbreak, and final happiness as the reader examines the role of family loyalty versus individual need, personal liberty and how it relates to society’s demands, religious prejudice, racism, intolerance, the role of charity, and the overwhelming need for humans to forgive one another. While still in manuscript form, Benjamin’s Field, Book One, Rescue, was advanced to the “Best Sellers Chart” of the peer review website YouWriteOn.com.

In Book One, “Rescue,” a widowed farmer suffers an unspeakable loss during World War I. Burdened with grief, he learns from his nemesis, a dogmatic Catholic priest, that his son’s fiance has given birth to their crippled child. Unable to cope with the child’s deformity and confounded by his illegitimate birth, the farmer is battered by those closest to him with accusations of cruelty and intolerance until he finally reveals his true feelings and the reasons underlying his apparent bigotry. Set in a historical context, Benjamin’s Field is a compelling story about human dignity overcoming adversity, prejudice, and hatred. Interwoven with lighter moments, this dramatic and moving tale will take the reader on an emotional and sometimes humorous journey.”

Book #2 Ascent

Jeremy Kyner, now a teenager, becomes the focus of his teacher's animosity because of his infirmity.

Jeremy's grandfather, Benjamin Kyner, his hired hand, a Catholic priest, a Jewish blacksmith, a courageous girl, a societal misfit, and an unwitting class bully form an unlikely, and at times volatile, partnership to rescue him from the smothering grip of prejudice. With their help, Jeremy literally takes to the sky, defeating his teacher's plans to institutionalize him and forcing her to reveal her own, dark, secret.

Finally, Randy Bridgewater, the long-absent best friend of Jeremy's dead war-hero father, emerges from the past with a surprise twist that propels the reader toward the dramatic conclusion of the Benjamin's Field Trilogy.

Benjamin'sField is a captivating tale about the journey of life, during which we each experience success and failure, joy and pain, and (if we are lucky) forgiveness and healing. 

Especially useful to young readers, but valuable to us all, are the story's lessons about this journey: our greatest achievements are for others, not ourselves; overcoming difficulties makes us stronger; disappointments can be blessings in disguise; help can come from unexpected sources; sometimes one door must close so another can open; it's futile to blame the universe or a higher being for pain that's inflicted by our fellow human beings

Book #3 Emancipation

opens as America is on the cusp of World War II. Jeremy Kyner, now a man, is barred from military service at a time when America is almost defenseless against marauding German submarines. Finally joining a group of volunteer civilian pilots that represents the country’s best hope to counter the Germans, Jeremy confronts a deadly enemy from an unexpected quarter and is offered a chance of achieving final emancipation.

Benjamin’s Field is a historical novel about human dignity overcoming adversity, prejudice, and hatred. Interwoven with lighter moments, this dramatic and moving novel will take the reader on a journey of inner exploration.

"More a philosophical treatment of the human condition than a mere fictional story, the Benjamin's Field trilogy is an interwoven tapestry of parables that explore various aspects of human existence, such as the role of family loyalty versus individual need, personal liberty and how it relates to society's demands, religious prejudice, racism,intolerance, the role of charity, and the overwhelming need for humans to forgive one another." - Goodreads, University of Chicago Magazine

EXCERPT

“Ben, what in blazes is going on?” asked Hiram. “Is that what I think it is? I never saw one before.” 

“It sure looks like a flyin’ machine,” Benjamin answered. “I’m as surprised as you, but I’m gettin’ mighty damned mad that some fool just scattered my cows and knocked me into the dirt.” 

Hiram doffed his hat and wiped his forehead. 

“Why is that thing buzzin’ around here?” he asked.

“Hiram, you know as much as I do. But if I get my hands on him, whoever is in that thing’ll wish he hadn’t come here to show off. Damned idiot.”

Together, they watched as the machine flew east parallel to the field. Then suddenly, just as they began to think it would continue on and leave them in peace, the strange craft turned left again and began to drop from the sky. As it neared the end of the field, it turned again, lowering its nose and aligning itself with the field. Just as it appeared to the two men that it would again scream over them, the tempo of the engine’s roar slowed. The machine neared the ground and leveled off a few feet above the grass. The cows, now scattered, were no longer a danger to the flying machine.

Benjamin and Hiram stared slack-jawed as the boxy kite-looking thing approached them. The roar of its engine dropped to a murmur and its wheels touched the grass. It bounced along the rough field, wings wobbling, toward the two gawking spectators.

Benjamin, alternately amazed and then angry at what he was seeing, began to allow his anger to hold sway. Resentment was welling up inside him as if it had a life of its own; resentment at this intruder who surprised him; resentment at having to hurl himself to the ground like a frightened fawn; resentment at having no control over what was happening on his own land. 

Hiram, sensing Benjamin’s coiling anger, looked down at his fists. He placed his hand on Benjamin’s shoulder and said, “Ben, let’s take it easy. We don’t know what’s goin’ on here. It could be he’s in trouble.” 

The quivering, cloth-wrapped machine trundled to a stop a few feet from Benjamin and Hiram. The long, slowly swinging wooden propeller emitted loud clicks at longer and longer intervals as it finally swung to a stop and puffed out one last gasp of blue-white smoke from the exhaust pipes on the top of the cowling. The machine had two wings, one above the other, just like in the newspaper photographs. Under the top wing, Benjamin could see two leather-encased heads protruding from the machine’s body. One was a few feet behind the other. Both wore goggles that gave them bug-like appearances. For the second time that day, Benjamin was speechless as the bug figure in front lifted his goggles to his forehead, waved at him and with a big smile said, “Hi, Pa!”

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About the author:

J. J. Knights is a retired FBI Special Agent. His assignments included violent crimes and fugitives, property crimes, civil rights investigations, and foreign counterintelligence. He was a surveillance pilot, SWAT sniper, media representative, and worked in the FBI's technical investigations program. Knights also volunteered as a Civil Air Patrol pilot, squadron commander and public information officer. He is an emeritus member of the Imperial Public Relations Committee of Shriners International and Shriners Hospitals for Children. A native of New England, Knights resides in southwestern Pennsylvania with his wife and honeybees. He has authored several published articles on law enforcement recruiting. Benjamin's Field is his first novel.

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