FIVE TEN PARK

About the Book

FIVE-TEN PARK takes place from 1941 - 1963 and contains such a wealth of material three separate novels might be made from it; the war and times at sea, the glamorous social life in New York, and the tragic end to a marriage which seemed to have everything going for it.

The story tracks John, a young man who left Harvard College to serve in WWII as a Merchant Marine officer.  When not spending life on shipboard and in foreign ports, he floats around New York high society in and out of love.

The portrayal of life on board ship presided over by an honorable and charming captain gives just the right amount of information.  Millions of people who were not fully grown at the time will be fascinated by the details and dangers encountered by John and his shipmates.   The many ports of call, the trading, the threat of U-boat attacks all contribute to the exciting life at sea.  The terrible tales told by Perry, an important shipmate whose experiences go a long way toward explaining how he can be such a charmer one moment and a boor and wild actor the next.

The story of Paul von Stauffen, the U-boat captain who turns out to be an American is priceless dramatic substance.  A Teutonic warrior, Paul is not good husband material, which Alice, a friend of John, discovers after their marriage.

John’s post-war marriage to Ann takes place after a near miss when she walks out on him because he told her he wanted to sleep with her.  Ann is a mystery, elusive  like quicksilver.  Their post-war years while John completes law school are filled with color, situations, and interpersonal relationships. As young people rebuild their lives..

The tragic death of Ann supports the view that few people escape without scars.  Otherwise the story is a happy one.  There’s enough unhappiness.  The readers might prefer to find escape than “relate” to it.

Alice, whom John subsequently marries, is unusually wealthy and lives in a mansion on Fifth Avenue.  The author has portrayed how pleasant life was for privileged young people in the East in an earlier time, and it’s something readers will always want to learn about with a mixture of delight and envy; a lost world.

The characters have been created to be understandable throughout, showing changes, growth, and human values.  Some of the more touching moments are captured when John longs for the New England autumn while he is at sea.  It is poetic in his soul as he reveals in that simple and innocent yearning for the sight of bright leaves and the smell of wood smoke.  The hero or protagonist is what  he should be: honorable, intelligent, likeable, adventurous...and slightly confused.

FIVE-TEN PARK is written with knowledge of the subject and with good research.

About the Author

A native of New Canaan, Connecticut, Robert Pauley’s days at Harvard College were interrupted by service in WWII. He returned to complete his Masters Degree at Harvard Business School. He subsequently became a broadcast executive, an investment broker, and a university teacher, in that order. He now resides with his wife in Landrum, SC. This is his first novel.