The Women by Kristin Hannah
I have never actually read any Kristin Hannah before but this was the selection for the month for a book club I am in – I know The Nightingale was very popular at one point but I think I just hit the point of wondering how many more World War II novels we needed right around the time it came out? But I also get the the appeal – because World War II, at least from an American perspective, is one that is easy to […]
Tree of Smoke by Denis Johnson
There’s always a risk in going back to a longer book after failing with it the first time. You may invest too much of your time without the payoff you were hoping for. American Psycho is a rare exception that worked for me. Most of them didn’t. Tree of Smoke didn’t work either. This was my third attempt with it and I powered through it because there was enough interest in the characters to see where it was going but no. I don’t want to say it was […]
The Refugees by Viet Thanh Nguyen
“Yours is a lucky generation.” “I wouldn’t say we were so lucky,” Phuong said. “You’ve never appreciated what you have.” Her father waved his hand over the meal and Phuong squeezed her glass, bracing to hear the stories of her parents one more time. ……. “Phuong was bemused at how these tourists would want to spend their money and their day here, instead of at the beach, or at a fancy restaurant, or in a hammock at a rustic riverside café. The reason for such […]
Act of War: Lyndon Johnson, North Korea, and the Capture of the USS Pueblo by Jack Cheevers
One thing I love about history is that no matter how much you think you know, there’s always something new to uncover. Such was the case, here. I think I have a pretty good handle on 20th century US history. I’m not an academic, by any means, but I’ve done a fair bit of reading. I’ve either never heard of the USS Pueblo, or had forgotten about it until reading this book. Technically speaking, the Korean War never ended. We were all reminded of this […]
You Don't Belong Here: How Three Women Rewrote the Story of War by Elizabeth Becker
My master’s adviser at the University of Washington had rejected my thesis on the Bangladesh War of Independence after I refused to sleep with him. He said the one was not related to the other but would welcome having an affair if I changed my mind. That infuriating fact introduces us to Elizabeth Becker. Becker is no stranger to reporting; she has covered revolution, war, and genocide all over the world. She has won many prizes for her work, including (but not limited to the) […]
The Time in Between by David Bergen
Charles Boatman, an aging Vietnam veteran, returns to Vietnam to come to terms with his time as an American soldier in the Vietnam war. When Charles disappears, his 27 year old daughter, Ada, and 25 year old son, Jon, make the trip themselves to try and find answers. The novel flits back and forth between Charles’ story and Ada’s. With Charles we get some of the fairly predictable elements for a Vietnam war novel- his time in Vietnam as young man, his marriage and how […]
