A sprawling and deeply human Vietnam War novel…
The jungles of Vietnam swallow young men whole, and only brotherhood offers any hope of survival in Gregg’s compelling novel. Sergeant Lefty Altamara, a gifted baseball player fleeing a violent childhood, finds himself deep in the Central Highlands beside combat medic Doc Hood, an idealistic runner and reluctant soldier who still clings to faith amid the madness of war. As ambushes, patrols, and relentless firefights consume their days, the two men struggle to preserve their humanity while death circles ever closer.
The narrative balances battlefield brutality with moments of tenderness, humor, and aching nostalgia. Gregg writes with a lyrical, often cinematic style, lingering on the smell of gun oil, the sound of helicopters over jungle canopies, and the battered emotional lives of the young Americans sent into chaos. Baseball becomes a recurring symbol throughout the novel—not simply as sport, but as memory, salvation, and the life Altamara might have lived had history not intervened.
The novel’s greatest strength lies in its characters. Lefty and Hood are thoroughly authentic, wounded, and profoundly alive, while the supporting cast, from hardened sergeants to frightened replacements, gives the story texture and emotional gravity. Gregg also widens the lens beyond American perspectives, offering glimpses into the lives of Vietnamese soldiers and civilians trapped inside the same machinery of destruction. Deliberately paced and richly detailed, the novel refuses to romanticize war. Instead, it presents combat as terrifying, absurd, and deeply personal while insisting that loyalty, compassion, and love can still survive amid devastation.
A vivid and emotionally resonant story. A must-read.
***
Pub date April 17, 2025
ISBN 979-8313442310
Price $16.96 Paperback, $6.99 Kindle edition
