Book Review-In Fierce Courage by Gabriella Kovac

In Fierce Courage, author Gabriella Kovac tells the story of Ivo Glovonich and his triumphs over seemingly-insurmountable obstacles.

The book opens with Ivo’s birth on a snowy night in February 1935 in Croatia. Born to an impoverished farming family, Ivo’s childhood is a difficult one filled with back-breaking labor and no formal education. While his mother, grandfather, and two older sisters are loving and supportive, Ivo’s father is harsh and unfeeling.

When WWII begins, soldiers from the Ustase, the fascist extremist party that had risen to power in recent years, force Ivo’s father to serve in the Ustase military. While he is away, Ivo is forced to work even harder to support his family. Overcoming numerous obstacles, Ivo keeps his family from starving and protects them from the various armies that move through the countryside.

With the end of the war, Ivo’s father is able to return to his home in what is now called Yugoslavia. Even though he was forced to become a Ustase soldier, he is despised by his neighbors because of the Ustase’s attempts to exterminate several minority groups, in particular the Serbians, in concentration camps. A bitter and lazy alcoholic, Ivo’s father does little to support the family, so Ivo moves to the city to find work.

After working and sending money home for some time, Ivo and his two best friends are drafted into service in the Yugoslavian army. Because of the atrocities he observed on the part of various military groups during WWII, Ivo is horrified by the prospect of serving in the military, so he and his friends flee to Austria.

While Ivo escapes military service in Austria, his life becomes even more complicated when he meets a marries a single mother who he believes is a hard-working, downtrodden tavern owner. Due to his new bride’s deception and involvement in illegal activities, Ivo once again faces hardship; eventually he, his wife, and her daughter move to Australia. It is there that Ivo’s problems escalate until, at last, Ivo finds the home and peace he has long been seeking.

Fierce Courage (Amazon Digital Services, 2016) is “based loosely on historical events”. It tells the story of a man whose fierce determination to make a better life for himself and to live honorably despite his circumstances create an inspiring adventure.

Book Review by Patti Miinch: Patti Miinch, a widow and mother of two adult children, lives in Southeast Missouri. Her lifelong passion — as both a writer and a reader

— for the written word led her to pursue a career as an English professor. Her hobbies include watching college and professional sports, spending time with her family, knitting, spending time outdoors, and traveling.