
A combination of war novel and love story, this work follows Henry, a
young man in 1950 West Virginia, as he falls for a wealthy young woman
and runs away with her to New Orleans. When their affair is violently
interrupted by her family, Henry enlists in the marines. The Korean War
is raging, and Henry experiences an epic battle, gruesome wounds, and
unforgettable horrors. Although the book is framed by a love affair, the
heart of it--and where the narrative is most gripping--is Henry's
experience in combat. Olmstead ("Coal Black Horse") has a spare, direct
style that is most effective in the brilliant, engrossing combat
descriptions and ironic marine banter. In the West Virginia scenes, the
clipped conversations of the characters are more noticeably stylized.