- Here’s what happens:
- This is the story of a “youngblood” lieutenant during counterinsurgency in Iraq, chronicling his struggles to find his foothold as a leader as he tries to uncover a local mystery nestled at the crosshairs of forbidden romance and a terrorist heist.
- It’s good because:
- Gallagher’s writing is sharp and honest when it comes to the internal struggles of being a soldier: the constant conflicts between vigilance and boredom, hopefulness and cynicism, camaraderie and competition. This is a dynamic piece of writing.
- Read if:
- You enjoyed The Things They Carried. Different war, of course, but I believe Gallagher alludes to this book often, especially when saying that the truest war stories are the ones that are hard to believe.
Up next: Cameroon with Imbolo Mbue’s Behold the Dreamers!
Advertisements Share this:
