44 NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2025 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL and the story moves to Occupied France, where both Nils and Marie find themselves working with the Resistance. The fictional characters in this story are woven into an accurate historical portrayal of places, events, tactics, and technical information, whether in the air or on the ground, based on extensive research. The book highlights the role of women during World War II. John Eric Lundin is a retired Foreign Service officer, having served from 1971 to 2001. He started his career with the U.S. Information Agency and served overseas, mainly in public affairs positions, in Taiwan, Denmark, China, and Japan, in addition to assignments in Washington, D.C. Chief Gati and the Talking Wind and Other Short Stories Martin Muganga, Page Publishing, 2024, $13.95/paperback, e-book available, 60 pages. This collection of 10 short stories offers African folktales filled with magic, bravery, and intelligence. The stories highlight the importance of environmental conservation, communitybuilding, and defying the odds, making this book an entertaining and educational read for all ages. The stories bring together villagers and foreigners who work together to overcome an epidemic, along the way offering insight into African culture and traditions. The gods Mawiko, Kaga, and the magical talking Wind are also recurring characters. Martin Muganga’s spouse joined the Foreign Service in 2022. Their first tour was in Porto Alegre, Brazil, where Muganga worked as a security escort and administrative rover. Their next assignment will take them to Maseru, Lesotho. Dog’s Breakfast Tom Navratil, Willow River Press, 2025, $19.99/paperback, e-book available, 328 pages. Deputy Chief of Mission Andy Pulano is fed up with being treated with less respect than his ambassador’s prized Labrador retriever. He sets out to undermine his boss and advance his own career by instigating a crisis at post in the fictional Vodania, which hardly needs any outside help in falling apart. After someone attempts to poison the Labrador, Andy assigns Tara Zadani, a newly arrived second-tour officer, to investigate. Tara suspects she’s been set up to fail, but she soon makes a discovery that puts Andy’s entire scheme—and his fevered hopes for a promotion—at risk. (See the full review in the SeptemberOctober 2025 FSJ.) A State Department FSO for 29 years, Tom Navratil served in Santo Domingo, Tokyo (twice), Moscow, and as deputy chief of mission in Skopje. His humor writing has appeared in Points in Case, Weekly Humorist, Slackjaw, and other publications. Dog’s Breakfast is his debut novel. Red’s Law Cheryl Rebecca Nugent, Palmetto Publishing, 2025, $19.99/paperback, e-book available, 454 pages. Gardenia Hill, a South Carolina animal sanctuary, was founded by Katherine “Red” Sutter and has been run by her niece, Greer, since Red’s death. The never-ending challenges the sanctuary faces include saving victims of dog fighting, puppy mills, hoarding, and abject cruelty. When Special Agent Adam Grant visits Gardenia Hill, he’s looking for anything to support his hunch that a serial killer is targeting animal abusers. But Greer and Adam find they have a lot in common, and his visits become more than work, especially when he connects with Polly, a shy Husky rescued from a puppy mill. Will there be romance? Is there really a serial killer? Cheryl Rebecca Nugent is the spouse of retired Foreign Service Officer Allen Nugent. She and her husband were posted to Rangoon, Asunción, Guangzhou, Canberra, Bangkok, and Koror. Red’s Law is Nugent’s fourth novel, inspired by her own years of work in animal welfare in the U.S. and overseas. She lives and writes in South Carolina.
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