Reese Williams "Unwinding the Vietnam War: From War into Peace."

This anthology gathers the writings of a diverse group of 25 scholars, artists, journalists, poets, veterans and refugees who attempt to recapture, examine and reconcile the impact of the Vietnam era on America. In "Big Bertha Stories," Bobbie Ann Mason limns an absorbing, haunting tale of a red-bearded Kentucky veteran, the disintegration of his family and the strip-mining machine Big Bertha that triggers memories of Vietnam: "Strip mining is just like what we were doing over there." Jane Creighton confronts the Vietnam Veterans Memorial: "What would it sound like if all the names started talking at once, if a collective roar rose up out of the wall?"

At a breathless pace, John Ketwig summarizes extreme contrasts in his life before, during and after service in Vietnam. Published in conjunction with a multimedia Washington, D.C., exhibition, this book is not another retelling of Vietnam but an effective effort to foster a spirit of healinga "national healing," as Williams calls it and understanding in the wake of the war.

Paperback, 1987.

Used book. Inscription on the first page, typically just a name. Light pencil underlining and/or margin notes on some pages. Minor shelf wear. Otherwise, nice and clean.