Lori Handeland

I will again state that my brain finds it hard to parse “historical fiction” that takes place within my lifetime but I suppose I AM getting old and have lived through some very historical events.

I was 8 in 1967 so I can’t say that I was overly politically aware. What I do know is that my mother’s only brother died in Viet Nam so my family was definitely impacted by that war.

Suddenly That Summer brings the time period alive for the reader as the characters navigate through very trying times. Four close friends who all have to deal with how the war impacts them and changes them.

It is a fast paced, page turning read that keeps you engaged from start to finish. War is never an easy “character” and it’s not here, particularly given the relatively recent nature of this war. Many of us of a certain age have family members who were impacted by the Viet Nam war.

Good stories are welcome no matter the time period in which they occur. Even if, as noted, I find it hard to wrap my head around my own lifetime being part of “history.”… (més)

The Summer of 1967 was called the Summer of Love but in reality it was the summer that changed the country and began the divide between people that has only gotten worse over the years and effects us today. This was the summer of the hippies, free love, sex-drugs and rock &roll. More importantly it was the year that young Americans began to question their government and the war in Vietnam. It was a summer of protests and marches - not only against the War but also for women's rights and civil rights. It also increased the chasm of beliefs between the young and the older people. I was in college during 1967 and even though I wasn't much involved in political issues, I can tell you that the people and events in this book ring true to what was going on.

Billy and Jay were a brother and sister who lived in small town Wisconsin. They both fervently believed the government and supported the war in Vietnam. Billy had been called a coward by his grandfather for his entire life and as soon as he graduated from high school, he volunteered for the Army. As was the norm, he quickly went through a shortened basic training and was soon stationed in Vietnam. He soon earned the nickname of Slayer and was a sniper that the Viet Cong Army wanted to capture. As he starts to question the war and the killing, he becomes closer to the men in his unit. Billy begins to wonder if he is there for the mission or the men or if, maybe, his mission has become these men.

Jay's plans for the summer are to enjoy life with her three best friends to help alleviate her worry about her brother. She is still very supportive of the government's stance in the war but then she meets a boy. Not just any boy but Paul, a handsome boy from California who is very opposed to the war. She is torn between her lifelong beliefs and her support of her brother but is beginning to believe what Paul and the anti war movement are telling her. Will her new beliefs make her best friends turn from her or will they too change their lifelong beliefs?

This book is told in alternating chapters by Billy and Jay. While Jay endures the heat and the bugs and the fear on a daily basis, Jay is having fun with her friends. While Billy is becoming a sniper to protect his friends and ultimately his country, Jay is beginning to question her long held beliefs in the government.

If you grew up during this time, this book will bring back a lot of memories like it did for me. If you are younger, this would be a good book to read to better understand what really happened during the summer of love and the years that followed.… (més)