After Incoming

Rating:
Summary: After Incoming
Review: This is one of the best narratives of the "post-Vietnam" experience I've read. The story gives first hand insight into the gut-wrenching psychic and social difficulties Vets had to deal with when they came back from Viet Nam, yet it never turns into a self-pity story. It's also a great portrait of a period in time, effectively capturing the chaotic energy of the decade that followed the summer of Love, with all it's tenderness, flamboyance, and disillusionment. Even though Hodgkinson is willing to explore the dark pains of a soilder coming home from an unpopular war, the story -- unlike many others in the genre-- is ultimately uplifting. The memories and flashbacks of Oriel, the main character, bring the horror of the Vietnam battlefield vividly to life, yet his reclaimation of life after the war shows a way out of the "jungle." Ultimately, this is a story about human bonds such as friendship, family, and intimacy, and the ability of people to heal one another. A great read.