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A. Robert Allen
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Failed Moments (Historical Fiction): The Slavery and Beyond Series Kindle Edition

by A. Robert Allen (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
3.9 3.9 out of 5 stars 150 ratings
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Patrick Walsh relives his Failed Moments in two past lives in order to salvage his modern day existence. Can he correct the mistakes of his past?

Patrick travels back to:

˃˃˃ The French Caribbean in 1790- Just Before the Slave Revolution

Biracial plantation owner Patrice Beaumont is known as a “kinder” slave master committed to ending slavery, but his actions don’t back-up his words. Is being the “best of the worst” all he’s capable of or will he have the courage to stand up for what is right?

˃˃˃ 1863 New York City- During the Draft Riots

Irish street fighter Patrick Allen is days away from the biggest fight of his career, when the Draft Riots ignite dangerous racial conflicts around the city and deadly acts of violence by Irish gangs. Never one to take sides outside the ring, he steers clear of the angry mobs. So when he stumbles on a lynching in progress, who can expect him to do anything more than look away?

Patrick is guided by his Aunt Grace who has been with him in each of his lives. The stakes are high---this is his last chance. Success moves both of them forward. There is no going back.

Volume #1 of A. Robert Allen’s Slavery and Beyond Series- Stories tackling race relations during times leading up to or immediately following the end of slavery.

Scroll up and grab a copy today.

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  1. Book 1 of 5
    Slavery and Beyond
  2. Print length
    245 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  5. Publication date
    February 25, 2015
  6. File size
    1778 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

A. Robert Allen is a longtime New York City college administrator with a lifelong passion for writing. When he traced his family tree back hundreds of years and uncovered roots that were white, black, Catholic, Protestant, and Jewish, the seed of a story began to grow. Failed Moments is a fictional account of the exploits of his ancestors during racially charged periods in the past.

Find out more about the author and his works at his website: http://arobertallen.com/.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00TOXIZ10
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ A. Robert Allen (February 25, 2015)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ February 25, 2015
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1778 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 245 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    3.9 3.9 out of 5 stars 150 ratings

About the author

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A. Robert Allen

A. Robert Allen

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A. Robert Allen has published five novels and two short-story prequels in his Slavery and Beyond series. All are stand-alone stories connected by theme. He writes historical fiction that transports readers to times and places immediately before or soon after the end of slavery. A. Robert is a long-time higher education professional and resides in New York. The first volume in the series, Failed Moments, is a fictional account of Allen’s ancestors in 1790 during the slave revolution in what would become Haiti and of, later in 1863, New York’s Draft Riots. The second volume, A Wave From Mama, immerses readers in racially charged post Civil War Brooklyn and gives an interesting look at the building of the Brooklyn Bridge. The third book in the series, Minetta Lane, takes place in 1904 in a downtown New York neighborhood that lives by an unusual race-based code. The prequel to this third volume, Minetta Mornings, takes place twenty-five years earlier. His fourth novel, Living in the Middle, involves the most violent and significant incident of racial violence in U.S. history, the Tulsa Race Riots of 1921. The prequel to this novel, which takes place in 1896, is entitled Ticket to Tulsa. Allen’s most recent release, Sundays, is another fictional account of Allen’s ancestors which transports readers to the island of Nevis in the early 1800s and Harlem in the 1930s. This novel also features the Unite the Right Rally in Charlottesville in 2017. Find out more about the author and his works at his website: http://arobertallen.com

Customer reviews

3.9 out of 5 stars
3.9 out of 5
150 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Heidi
5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Read for the Historical Fiction Lover - One of the Best Yet!!!
Reviewed in the United States on July 2, 2015
Verified Purchase
Failed Moments by A. Robert Allen is one of the very best Historical Fiction books that I've read so far. There are so many different aspects to this story, spirituality, history, morals, values, romance and so much more. I can honestly say, "I couldn't put it down"! During a very hectic time in my life I literally read it every spare minute I had. Each time I had to walk away it left me wanting more. I "needed" to know what was going to happen next. The main character Patrick, is forced to look at how the actions in his lifetime have consequences. Not only for him but for others as well. Many times while reading I had to stop and think about my own actions and outcomes and how everything I've done affects others as well. The most interesting thing about this book is that the author used his own genealogy to help create the main characters.

I have recommended it to a few of my friends and compared it in some ways to "The Five People You Meet In Heaven" by Mitch Albom. The characters draw the reader in and invites them to think about how this compares to ones own life and how our actions will affect our afterlife. I was very impressed with the historical accuracy as well.

Very impressive writing and story line. I look forward to future publications from this great newly published author.
3 people found this helpful
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Kae Bender - Writer and former Editor
4.0 out of 5 stars A nice mix of fantasy and history with an overarching moral
Reviewed in the United States on July 11, 2015
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A. Robert Allen weaves an interesting combination of fantasy and history into his thoughtful and absorbing debut novel Failed Moments.

I found the parallel plots of the two historical periods to be both informative and evocative of the ongoing racial and political tensions that still linger with us today. I didn’t know anything about the "French colony of St. Domingue just before the slave uprising in the late 1700’s" in today's Haiti, and I had little more knowledge than that the Irish who fled famine to emigrate to New York prior to the Civil War faced prejudice and abuse, but I had no recollection of the period politics Allen portrays so effectively. The research he must have done to fabricate such vivid portraits of the people and times in both events is admirable, and it is particularly fascinating that the content of the book was predicated on discoveries he made when he traced his family tree back hundreds of years. He honors the heritage of his white, black, Catholic, Protestant, and Jewish roots throughout the tales he weaves.

Best, there is an overarching theme to the plot that ties all the separate aspects together and draws a, perhaps moralistic, conclusion to each of the three story lines. While the ending may be a bit cliché, the novel’s overall point is worth pondering.

I look forward to further equally well developed plots that are perhaps a bit more fluid presentations than the sometimes prosaic telling of this story.
6 people found this helpful
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Book Dragon
3.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining read...relatable characters
Reviewed in the United States on July 31, 2019
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Great read for those who enjoy historical fiction books. It was entertaining, characters were relatable and the situations they faced definitely made you stop and think about what you would do if you were in their shoes. This book makes you wonder how many failed moments you've had of your own and if you would do things differently if given a second chance.
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MysticDragonfly
5.0 out of 5 stars Failed Moments: The Spiritual Side.
Reviewed in the United States on July 1, 2015
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Failed Moments: such a delightful book on so many levels. The obvious is the aspect of the racial issues and how just one man could change so many lives. Since most of the reviews that I read focused on this I would like to focus on the apiritual aspect.

I think the racial stands out so kuch that the spiritual needs some focus. I loved how it touches on reincarnation and the spirit realm. To think that no matter how badly we mess up there is a chance to correct things and continue on. To improve upon ourselves, our lives and those lives of the people around us. Just pay attention and do whats right.

For Patrice all he had to do was stand up for what he truly believed in. To believe in his own power and use it for what he cared about, equality.

For Paddy it was to not be selfish, to stay and help the ones he loved. By doing that he was able to become the leader he was meant to be.

Then Patrick himself by reflecting was able to change his present life and become happy and close to his family again.

A truly wonderful story. It really shows the positive power people have if we chose to use it. If there is a next book I look forward to reading it.
3 people found this helpful
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Kindle Customer
2.0 out of 5 stars Not Worth The Time
Reviewed in the United States on August 11, 2015
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This felt more like a spiritual lesson on reincarnation, in Reincarnation Sunday School, if there is such a thing. The hotel trope did not work well for me. It was simplistic and was disconnected to the reincarnation theme.Making the souls appear as tourists cheapens the theme I thought he was going for. I really had to fight to finish this book, and I only did so because I'm trying to finish a reading challenge for the year. Some of the aspects of the book that really bothered me were the anachronisms. I noticed that the author is a history professor. He should know that in 1865 "blush" was not the word used for that type of make-up. I doubt there were many men of color who outright owned a dance club in New York City, nor were there men of color who openly lived a gay lifestyle, with few repercussions.
The attitudes of the characters also reflected a more modern attitude toward race and gender than would have happened in the 19th century.
If you want to read about reincarnation, I'd find another novel or a non-fiction book to read.
2 people found this helpful
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Lawrence Presley
4.0 out of 5 stars I don't believe in reincarnation and I don't usually enjoy time travel
Reviewed in the United States on September 7, 2015
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I don't believe in reincarnation and I don't usually enjoy time travel. But, I did find this book interesting. I learned a lot of historical pieces that I didn't know of before. I enjoyed the characters and the book kept me reading. I wish the 'present' characters were developed more at the beginning so that I would care more about them at the end. Overall, I would recommend this book.
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Top reviews from other countries

Glorybe
5.0 out of 5 stars Failed Moments by A. Robert Allen.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 26, 2015
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I really enjoyed this book with its intriguing concept that if we could change one small thing in our lives the outcome would be so completely different! It is spiritual and fantasy rolled into one.
The author did a lot of research into periods in history that were so important, then and now, how decisions and conscience are so critical, he discovered that some of his ancestors contributed to these events in time, and was able to introduce them to us as characters in the story. Firstly we see the disgusting period in history where slaves were used as a commodity to improve the white mans lives and finances, then we see how the Irish famine and the difficulties between the Catholics and Protestants overflow into hatred and conflict, which we still see today unfortunately!
Patrick Walsh lies fighting for his life after a tragic accident, in a coma that he may never come out of unless he chooses to! He is flawed in many ways and now is his chance to improve his happiness and his future, Will He??
We get to see man's inhumanity towards man, its sickening cruelty towards others who are different, who is right? Who has the right to inflict such hardships on others? And if we only did the right things, our whole world could be so different.
I really enjoyed this book, clever story and interesting concepts, it is so unusual and quite complex. It actually causes you to think a bit!
4 people found this helpful
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David Lindsay
4.0 out of 5 stars A book for everyone
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 4, 2015
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Once I'd got passed the first few pages, this became a story I was always keen to get back to. I think my brain was confused into expecting 'an historical novel' and then finding itself in modern day New York. Once we're moving though, there was some excellent and interesting historical insights, built around a compelling story; more accurately, stories within a story. Despite Charles Dickens getting in first, or at least most famously with a similar concept, I thought there was a lot of originality in this book. I occasionally found the writing slightly stilted in parts, quite beautiful in others. It's a difficult book to pigeon hole, and I think most people would enjoy reading it.
2 people found this helpful
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Maggie the Pug
5.0 out of 5 stars Five stars for an amazing read.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 29, 2015
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Absolutely amazing book, very well researched. It was one of those books you cannot put down, the details were impressive. The author had previously researched his ancestors and then has written a novel about some of them, weaving in historical details about uprisings, slavery and also the influx of Irish immigrants into the USA, and the harshness of their lives.
I cannot recommend this book enough, I believe this is the first novel by A Allen as I went onto his blog and did not find any other titles by him, which is a great shame because I would like to read more books by him, he is definitely my favourite author at this moment!
4 people found this helpful
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Genie
4.0 out of 5 stars Nice thought provoking read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 28, 2015
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My aunt was asked to do a review on this book and suggested it to the rest of us to try too as we are a family of avid readers. I quite enjoyed reading this.It had a nice theme, flowed well and left you thinking.
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