FICTION

The Reason You're Alive

by Matthew Quick
Harper. Jul. 2017. 240p. ISBN 9780062424303. $25.99; ebk. ISBN 9780062424341. F
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Vietnam War veteran David Granger is taken to the hospital after he wraps his BMW around a tree. Medical tests reveal David had a brain tumor that he blames on the U.S. government for exposing him to Agent Orange during the war. As he recovers from brain surgery, he repeats the name of a Native American soldier he served with, Clayton Fire Bear, whom David had disciplined harshly. After being discharged from the hospital, David is helped by best friend Sue, a Vietnamese America woman, to reconnect with his distant son, Hank, and his seven-year-old granddaughter, Ella. As he finds peace with his family—even moving in with them—the aging vet also seeks to make amends with Clayton Fire Bear by returning a stolen ceremonial knife that he had given to his now-deceased wife.
VERDICT Quick (Boy 21; Silver Linings Playbook) delivers an exceptional novel; its themes of war and memory as well as its unforgettable characters, especially the ornery David, fast pace, and insightful dialog will connect with readers of Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carried. [See Prepub Alert, 1/23/17; library marketing.]
Reviewed by Russell Michalak, Goldey-Beacom Coll. Lib., Wilmington, DE , Jun 15, 2017
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