Reviews
Review by Candreads
1968: Somebody Else’s War by
David Roy Montgomerie Johnson
David Roy Montgomerie Johnson’s 1968: Somebody Else’s War is a simultaneously hilarious and realistic account of a small Ontario town caught in the midst of a rapidly changing world. Using the backdrop of the Vietnam War and its sweeping cultural and social shifts, Johnson captures how the uncertainty of this era affected everyday Canadians. He poses the question: How much can really change in a year? His answer—“a lot”—unfolds through a wide cast of characters, each struggling to either embrace change or cling to the past.
Set in the real town of Newport, Ontario, the novel follows a diverse group of townsfolk exploring connection and what it means to be human. At the heart of the story is Captain Sammy, a police officer grappling with PTSD from the Korean War, a strained marriage, and a rebellious son disillusioned by war and drawn to the counterculture. As he hunts for the perpetrator of a series of disturbing crimes, he must also confront his past violent acts in the war, as well as his undeniable attraction to a new, young waitress at the local diner. Another standout character of the novel is April May June (yes, that’s her real name), a teenage girl coming of age while her father, imprisoned for chicken theft, is released with a vendetta and years of unresolved trauma. As a town grappling with change collides with the wider world, Johnson successfully weaves together humour, history, and heartbreak.
Johnson’s greatest strength lies in his ability to capture the nuances of human relationships. His characters evolve naturally, shaped by shifting politics and personal struggles. The chemistry between them—from Captain Sammy’s fractured marriage to the mayor’s complicated dynamic with April May June’s mother—keeps readers engaged. However, while his use of explicit language reflects the time period, some slurs feel unnecessary and overused. The large cast, while rich in perspective, can sometimes be difficult to track, and more distinct voices and physical descriptions would help. Additionally, the setting is often underdeveloped; stronger sensory details, like the maple-syrup sweetness of a diner or the creak of old barstools, would make the world feel more immersive. A final polish—particularly refining setting descriptions, distinguishing characters’ voices, and correcting typos and punctuation errors—would enhance readability.
Johnson’s most impressive feat is blending fiction with history. Segments covering everything from MLK’s assassination, the My Lai Massacre, the Irish Troubles, and Apollo 8, add emotional weight, balancing historical fact with compelling storytelling. His depiction of Robert Kennedy’s assassination is particularly poignant, illustrating its impact on ordinary people, and it’s bound to make readers shed a tear.
With humour, heart, and historical depth, 1968: Somebody Else’s War is an unforgettable read. Fans of historical fiction and North American history will appreciate Johnson’s sharp wit and colourful cast of characters. Whether you lived through 1968 or are experiencing it for the first time through these pages, Johnson will guide you through.
1969 – SOMEBODY ELSE’S SCHOOL
Emily Harper
Emily teaches U.S. and world history at a public high school. She is passionate about helping her students see history not as dry facts, but as lived human experience. Outside the classroom, she’s active in her local teachers’ union and loves historical fiction that blends personal stories with political upheaval.
Review:
“As a history teacher, I’m always looking for works that make turbulent times feel real to my students and to me. This book doesn’t just tell history, it breathes it. When I read the section about Jackie Robinson’s debut in Montreal, ‘That day Robinson was not a black player. He was just a player. A very good player. Montreal welcomed him with open arms.’ I was moved to tears.
It reminded me of discussions I’ve had with my students about courage and dignity in the face of prejudice. I grew up in a union family myself, so passages on labor struggles, like ‘A good union is a gift to men and women who labor night and day in factories and fields and on the roads between to earn a living. A corrupt union is a cancer.’, hit home for me in a deeply personal way.
This isn’t just a novel it’s a mirror of history, showing us the resilience and contradictions of the late 1960s. For teachers, students, and anyone who wants to feel history, it’s indispensable.”
1969 – SOMEBODY ELSE’S SCHOOL
Marcus Reynolds
Marcus worked at the GM plant from the late 1970s until the early 2000s before it closed. Now retired, he volunteers at a community center mentoring young men entering the workforce. He gravitates toward books that validate working-class struggles and connect personal identity with larger social changes.
Review:
“This book felt like my life on the page. I couldn’t believe how accurately it captured the dignity and the loss of industrial America. When I read: ‘The GM factory complex where I worked (1977 to 1991) once employed over 13,000 men and women. It now employs just over 1,000.’ I literally had to put the book down and breathe. That was my story.
The depiction of unions, their power and their corruption, rang true. My father used to say, ‘The union giveth and the union taketh away,’ and this book nailed that balance.
But beyond politics, it’s the people in the story who resonate with me. Their humor, their fights, their everyday hopes. It reminded me that our struggles weren’t just about jobs, but about community. Reading it was like being back in the breakroom, hearing stories over coffee. For anyone who lived through the rise and fall of America’s industrial heartland, this book is a time machine and a reckoning.”
1969 – SOMEBODY ELSE’S SCHOOL
Samantha “Sam” Vega
Sam is researching counterculture movements of the 1960s for her thesis, focusing on how women navigated gender roles during social upheaval. She’s also a second-generation Canadian whose mother worked in food service, so she is drawn to working-class female perspectives in fiction.
Review:
“I was drawn into the voices of women in this story their resilience, humor, and quiet power. April May, juggling work at the ice cream parlour and being pulled into the swirl of counterculture, spoke directly to me. ‘Assistant manager? At 15 years old? Did that qualify as a promotion?’ that moment of youthful pride mixed with labor exploitation hit me hard. My mother started waitressing at 14, and I saw her in April May.
Another line that stuck with me: ‘Her brain hurt. As boring as cone scooping and burger frying might be it was a nice way to get paid while she thought. And April May had a lot to think about.’. It reminded me of how women’s intellectual lives often bloomed while they were doing work society dismissed as menial.
This book gave me both an academic lens and a personal shoutout. It shows how young women, even those deemed ‘ordinary,’ were living extraordinary lives shaped by war, politics, and culture. For me, it was not just a book, but a companion in my own research journey.”