Marsh, Ed, Matt, Bruno, and Dudley are five cheeky mates who return home from the horrors of the Vietnam War, believing they are invincible.
But is their self-assurance short-lived?
Are their battle scars too deep for them to find real happiness?
What are their chances of fitting back into society, finding jobs, and falling in love?
Does amputee Matt still have what it takes to find the woman of his dreams?
Can Marshall re-connect with his Italian heritage?
‘The story focuses on Italian-Australian soldier Marshall Della Casa as he leaves to fight in South-East Asia, where he joins a tight-knit group of young men. After the war, these soldiers find themselves attempting to acclimate to life back home with sex and drugs as they face both depression and withdrawal. When their paths diverge, the focus returns to Marshall as he sojourns to his homeland in Italy. Finally, the story brings all the men back together to determine their fates.
Ribald humour and antics aside, this is largely a story about how most returned soldiers were different men to the boys they had been before the conflict. An honest tale about friendship among veterans.’ — Kirkus Reviews.
‘Mulae’s writing style and witty humour helped make the characters relatable and sense the mateship between this group of larrikins. However, the good humour is clearly hiding something much darker for the characters.
I enjoyed the author’s development of the characters, and the attempts to hide their post-combat emotional trauma seem very realistic. The story ticks along at a nice pace and it was easy reading. While at times confrontational, I was able to emotionally connect and engage with these characters and, for me, that is a sign of a truly good read. Highly recommended!’ — Belle – Goodreads.
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.