The Purple Heart - Softcover

Marc Talbert has written many books for young readers, several of them published in seven foreign countries. He lives with his wife and two daughters in Tesuque, New Mexico.

Grade 5-8-- In a carefully constructed family drama, Talbert portrays a young son's confusion and anxiety when his wounded father returns home from Vietnam. Luke Canvin treasures the Purple Heart awarded his father, and yet he fears asking the taciturn, brooding man how he earned it. His sensitive, pregnant mother encourages him to be patient with his father, who must accept his injury, find a new career, and cope with critics of the war. Unsettled, unpredictable tornado weather hangs over Luke's midwestern hometown just as turmoil fills his life. His war games with a friend lead to a confrontation with elderly, reclusive Mrs. Pederson. Pressed into her service by his parents, the boy comes to understand her loneliness, fears, and memories. With growing insight into the strengths and weaknesses of human nature, he at last learns the traumatic but unglorious details of his father's injury, and his romantic illusions about the Purple Heart are replaced by a realistic understanding of courage. Through believable characters, Talbert delivers a positive statement on the healing power of family love. Rich with parallels and symbols, the book offers war ``enthusiasts'' a sober glimpse of a Vietnam vet's homecoming and the meaning behind a medal. --Gerry Larson, Chewning Junior High School, Durham, NC
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.