A retired award-winning radio journalist and book reviewer, Randy O'Brien has a B.S. degree from Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) in Murfreesboro, TN majoring in English and minoring in History and Secondary education. He was the News Director of WMOT-FM for three decades, reporting hard news and features, proudly mentoring dozens of now successful graduates. He was an adjunct writing instructor at MTSU and Watkins School of Art and Design and former President of the Tennessee Screenwriting Association. His interests include audiobooks, just about any genre fiction or non-fiction, movies, and hiking.
Description
Reviews
"A tale of family and the impact that war can have, in its many manifestations. Engaging throughout and well-written." -- Rachel Deeming, Reedsy Randy O'Brien cements his reputation as one of our finest historical novelists. The Farm is an epic story that takes a family from the brutal battlegrounds of World War II Europe to the rural fields of Tennessee, where thousands of German POWs worked on farms. But not all POWs were so patient. When one SS prisoner goes rogue, it nearly destroys a family and sets one young woman on an unexpected journey. Once you start Randy O'Brien's The Farm, you won't be able to put it down. -- Steven Womack, Edgar Award-winning author of Fade Up from Black The Farm brings together careful historical research and an innovative plot in the story of a would-be starlet and a Nazi prisoner, set in a rural Tennessee POW camp. Randy O'Brien once again shines a light on a little-known page of history in this World War II novel, following his well-received Civil War book, Gettysburg by Morning. -- Phyllis Gobbell, author of the Jordan Mayfair Mysteries and forthcoming Prodigal A kindhearted young woman's good intentions go horribly awry. Set against the backdrop of a rapidly changing world, The Farm weaves a tale of post-World War II upheaval, personal aspirations, and family bonds. Randy O'Brien's spellbinding, bittersweet read is a clear winner. -- Mary Bess Dunn, author of Fate Havens: Stories From the Malmedy Massacre in WWII to the escape of a Nazi prisoner-of-war in rural Tennessee, The Farm tells the story of a war that has no end. Ollie Weber, whose life was saved by a medic, wreaks havoc on the Wright family. O'Brien's careful weaving of history and fiction arrives at a truth too often ignored: the aftereffects of war go on long after the fighting ceases. Step into the world created by this author for a read that is both informative and rewarding. -- Rita Welty Bourke, author of Islomanes of Cumberland Island