In the summer of 1984, the war in Vietnam came home to Sam Hughes, whosefather was killed there before she was born. The soldier-boy in the picture never changed. In a way that made him dependable. But he seemed so innocent. "Astronauts have been to the moon," she blurted out to the picture. "You missed Watergate. I was in the second grade."
She stared at the picture, squinting her eyes, as if she expected it to cometo life. But Dwayne had died with his secrets. Emmett was walking around with his. Anyone who survived Vietnam seemed to regard it as something personal andembarrassing. Granddad had said they were embarrassed that they were still alive. "I guess you're not embarrassed," she said to the picture.
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"This is one of those books where I can over look a lot of the way it's presented and written just for one thing. In this case that one thing is the portrait of PTSD. Someone had recommended the film to me (boy, was that a trick to find)and even though some of the acting & actors were terrible I was really struck by certain scenes and knew I had to pick up the book so I could have the actual written words. I have read Tim O'Brien's "The Things They Carried", it is a much better book in a lot of ways and truly an amazing work but for me "In Country" put into words so many thoughts and feelings that for years I couldn't get across to others (No, I'm not a Vet but I find no matter where it stems from a PTSD is PTSD). It's really nice when someone "gets it". So for that reason, this goes in my favorite pile." — Annebanana (4 out of 5 stars)
"This is one of those books where I can over look a lot of the way it's presented and written just for one thing. In this case that one thing is the portrait of PTSD. Someone had recommended the film to me (boy, was that a trick to find)and even though some of the acting & actors were terrible I was really struck by certain scenes and knew I had to pick up the book so I could have the actual written words. I have read Tim O'Brien's "The Things They Carried", it is a much better book in a lot of ways and truly an amazing work but for me "In Country" put into words so many thoughts and feelings that for years I couldn't get across to others (No, I'm not a Vet but I find no matter where it stems from a PTSD is PTSD). It's really nice when someone "gets it". So for that reason, this goes in my favorite pile."
“I’m still under the spell of In Country—a wonderful experience starting right on the first page.”
“A brilliant and moving book...a moral tale that entwines public history with private anguish.”
“Nobody surpasses Mason at reproducing (and dramatizing) details and attitudes of small town life…It’s a triumphant characterization.”
“This is the modest, beautiful, touching story of how Sam discovers…who her father was and what the Vietnam war was about. A number one novel.”
" A young girl uncovers the truth about her father who fought in the Vietnam War. Insight into American attitudes to Vietnam woven around a rich piece of storytelling. "
" I have liked other books by Bobbie Ann Mason and really liked them, but there was something about this book. I just couldn't get into it. "
" I've been meaning to read this book for a long time...ever since I saw the film in 1989 with my dad, a Vietnam Vet. The prose works on a level of heartbreak and loss that is rare in most books. The thoughts of Sam, the main character, are so random and detailed and weird, they ring true. I thought the ending would be more of an emotional payoff; in the movie, the scene at the Vietnam Wall in D.C. is the high water-mark. "
" A coming of age story in which a teenage girl takes on the burden of her uncle, a Vietnam vet with PTSD in an attempt to reconcile the loss of a father whom she never met because he was killed in Vietnam. "
" It was a good book. I had to read it for English Writing 300. "
" In Country by Bobbie Ann Mason is an interesting way to learn about the impact of war on the returning soldiers AND on the family they came home to. It starts off interesting, then it gets slow. I'd actually like it to have more details about Sam's life at school and things rather than her night in the woods. "
" Requirement for an English class. "
" A brilliant look at a Vietnam vet and his provocatively intelligent neice "
" Lovely little book! It's not perfect, but some parts were really good! Emmett and Sam were lovable characters. You see, I don't have too much to say, because it's neither bad nor great, but I can definitely recommend it. "
" A high school read for me. I remember feeling shocked at the language, as well as quite detached from the characters in this book, and annoyed at the lack of a decent resolution. Ever the fan of a hopeful if not happy ending! "
" I read this book for the first time when I was 17 and I've been re-reading it several times since then. A coming of age story of a girl searching for her identity. "
" Too many cliche literary devices. "
" Do not read this book if annoying, self-centered teenagers annoy the crap out of you. "
" I don't know. It was a good read. Quick, clear, entertaining. But sometimes a little annoying. How do we relate to a selfish girlchild as protagonist? Oh. Waitaminute... "
" Book group selection - generated plenty to talk about, but didn't seem to be as compelling as it was 25 years ago... "
" I liked some of it, but had one of those implausible endings that seemed out of keeping and character. Other Bobbie Ann stuff I've liked better. "
" Great writer, good story, stays with you. This book is one of the reasons why I love fiction so much. "
" Interesting study of Vietnam Vets and American society in the early 80s. A little slow in spots, but gains momentum towards the end. "
" Pretty universally disliked as a read (4.4), but the junk food I was able to serve, straight out of the book, was a guilty pleasure: Doritos, chips & dip, Granny Cakes, Pepsi, orange pop, and spiced red wine. "
" a coming of age tale set in Kentucky, about Sam, a 17-year old, whose father was killed in Vietnam. She, crazy uncle and grandma go on roadtrip to see war memorial. "
" I don't like the book. I think it's a bit shallow and I find myself so lackadaisical in finishing it. In fact I skipped a few chapters just to finish the book. I don't think i will read the book again. "
" I always liked this one, I read it a long time ago. "
" When I taught high school English, I brought this into an advanced sophmore class. There are actully two main characters a young girl and a Vietnam veteran. Their interaction provides the main plot and themes to the story. Ms. Mason tells this from a very home spun style. She's a very good writer. "
" I enjoyed this book. I thought it really showed how the Vietnam War affected so many in a realistic way. I thought it was very realistic. "
Bobbie Ann Mason is a bestselling author, winner of the PEN/Hemingway Award, and a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award, American Book Award, and PEN/Faulkner Award. Her memoir, Clear Springs, was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. She is a writer-in-residence at the University of Kentucky.
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