THE THINGS THEY CARRIED

This prize-winning novel, based on its author’s real-life experiences in the Vietnam War, concentrates on the men of one American platoon who helped fight that ugly, unappreciated, and thoroughly uncomfortable conflict. In this riveting series of linked stories, colored with the details of keepsakes, love letters, and photos of family, we come to know and care about all kinds of individuals, some of whom survive and some of whom do not. Tom Stechschulte is first-rate. He transports us into the heart of the action, “the muck, terror, and boredom,” without excessive drama. Sometimes he is the narrator, sometimes the characters; in each case he beautifully renders personality and storytelling. R.E.K. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine [Published: APR/MAY 04]