Review: Anything is Possible by Thomas Bahler

Title: Anything is Possible
Author: Thomas Bahler
Publisher: Self-published
Publish Date: May 30, 2011
Source: I received a copy from the PR. This did not affect my review.

Why You're Reading This Book:

• You're a historical fiction fan.

What's the Story?:

From the Author's website: "Thomas Bähler has just released his first novel, Anything is Possible .  This inspiring and heartwarming story follows the life of Æsop.  For centuries the world has studied Æsop’s Fables.  Whether you’ve read The Tortoise and the Hare, The Lion and the Mouse, The Goose Who Laid the Golden Eggs or so many others, we have all enjoyed the magic of his words.  But it may come as a surprise to learn that Æsop was, for much of his life, a slave.  A beautiful, richly wrought story, it re-imagines the life of the great storyteller, Æsop.  Born a slave in the house of Theseus, Æsop understands early on that though the world may see him as a slave, in his heart he is free.

Through countless hardships, cruel masters and the loss of everything he loves, Æsop holds fast to those immortal words his mother taught him and finally finds a way to achieve his dreams of Freedom.  So rarely does a story like this cross our paths, with such a perfect message for these difficult times.  Powerful though simple, it is a profoundly inspirational tale that teaches us that ... Anything is Possible."

What's the Story?: 

Most people are familiar with Aesop's fables. I know that some of his stories were some of the most beloved of my childhood. They were some of the first ways that I learned life lessons that I still carry with me and think about today. There's a good reason that his stories are still so well-known and loved.

I can't say that I ever thought much about Aesop as a person. I never really separated the man from the stories and really I did not know much about his life at all. I've said before that I love how historical fiction can introduce you to people and at least give you a little bit of a flavor for a historical figure that you may be familiar with.

Bahler spins a great story about Aesop growing up as a slave in Greece. It's a station in life that is incredibly hard to rise above but if anyone can, it's Aesop! Through his personal philosophy of "anything is possible," he's able to do a lot of amazing things.

In a lot of ways, this book itself feels like a fable of sorts. By definition, a fable is a short story used to teach a lesson usually with animals or inanimate objects. While this story doesn't involve animal characters, it does have a message with an undeniable force of nature behind it.

Bottom line: This is a great story that introduces who Aesop really was to the rest of the world and will be loved by historical fiction fans.