INVISIBLE MONUMENTS: TRIBUTE, MEMORY, AND THE SUMMONING OF THE PAST
By Howard Mansfield
Lyons Press (October 2026)
ISBN: 9781493097289
This is a remarkable offering from a highly gifted and empathetic writer. It is an invocation to readers. Mr. Mansfield states early in the book that, “My goal with these stories is similar to that of the landscape painters. I want to refresh our sight so that we can look anew at the monuments around us and engage in a call and response with our history.”
Invisible Monuments is highly original and deeply engaging. Mansfield introduces us to a wide range of memorials. Some are iconic, such as The Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Others that are nearly unknown include the African Burial Ground in Manhattan. Mr. Mansfield’s stories take us far away to Europe; eventually we return home to New Hampshire. Most of the essays are based on historical events, especially wars, while others detail racial or cultural discrimination. A particularly personal and poignant story details the connection between a local tragedy at a small amusement park and a pivotal summer in his childhood. The tale is honest, brave and riveting.
Mr. Mansfield is a tenacious researcher – tracking down stories and details like a detective proving a suspect’s guilt. His prose, though, is gentle – urging reflection and mindful consideration. The combination is magical.
Invisible Monuments is unlike anything you’ve read before . Its structure and subjects defy categories or labels. Its uniqueness is its power. Invisible Monuments nestled into my head and heart, reminding me to accept and honor the whispers from the past.
— Christopher Rose, introduction and welcome to the Andover Bookstore
Once again, as with Howard Mansfield’s earlier four books that I have reviewed… I turned the last page of “Invisible Monuments” with the satisfaction that I had been in the company of a “thinking reader’s” author. A good feeling.
— Nils Shapiro, Boca Club News