Boots on the Ground

February 15, 2018
A personal, moving foray into the Vietnam War and its impact on the country and individuals whose lives it forever changed.Partridge (Dogtag Summer, 2011, etc.) takes readers on a chronological, multidimensional journey through the Vietnam War years via the personal stories of eight individuals: six American soldiers from diverse social and ethnic backgrounds, a biracial (Chinese- and Italian-American) nurse, and a Vietnamese refugee. Each segment moves readers forward in time and is interspersed with brief snapshots of what was happening at home, from glimpses of the American presidents' handling of the escalating crisis to the growing anti-war movement at home, viewed through the lens of leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr. and protest singer Country Joe McDonald. Of particular interest is the segment on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, a collaboration between veterans, government officials, and its young Chinese-American designer, Maya Lin. Emphasizing the lasting emotional legacy of the war for those who served, even as the rest of the country seemed content to put it behind them, Partridge's narrative storytelling is incisive and masterfully woven together. A superb selection of photographs puts an indelible face on the individuals whose lives the war affected.A valuable complement to existing nonfiction about the Vietnam War for young people, adding an intimate dimension to the larger history. (bibliography, source notes, index, photo credits) (Nonfiction. 12-18)

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Starred review from March 5, 2018
Skillfully interweaving original interviews and black-and-white photos with narrative, Partridge (Marching for Freedom) evokes the political controversy and intense emotions triggered by the Vietnam War. Her spare descriptions of the physical tension between antiwar students and a discharged soldier exemplify the chasm between politicians and protestors, and between career military personnel and troops. Partridge trains a lens on five men who fought on the ground—including a medic, a field nurse, and a Vietnamese refugee. The chronicle vividly brings to light their daily lives, the discrimination some encountered, and their loyalties and moral sensitivity to the war’s unending brutality. Interspersed chapters focus on decision-making at the highest level as well as growing antiwar sentiment; a look at the protest songs of Woodstock and Martin Luther King Jr.’s agonized decision to oppose the war fits neatly. Despite her antiwar sympathies, Partridge presents the presidents’ positions evenhandedly and elucidates the dilemmas they faced over the course of the war. A profoundly affecting description of the dedication
of the Vietnam War Memorial in 1982 concludes these compelling stories. Ages 12–up.

April 1, 2018

Gr 7 Up-Rather than offering a history of the causes and effects of the Vietnam War, Partridge brings the conflict to a personal level, with accounts of eight men, two women, four U.S. presidents, Martin Luther King Jr., and Maya Lin. Chapter by chapter, the author introduces an unseasoned Marine tasked with life or death decisions, a nonviolent follower of King who fires at the enemy until his machine gun is red hot, and an 18-year-old South Vietnamese woman who must flee the encroaching North Vietnamese Army. Partridge's interviewees all survived their year in-country, but what they saw and participated in haunted them long after. Late chapters on the Vietnam Veterans War Memorial and an epilogue provide closure. Photos of exhausted soldiers, pensive presidents, a helicopter evacuating the wounded, and stacks of coffins add visual immediacy to the emotional stories of young people at war and the protests stateside. Occasional racial slurs and strong language fit the circumstances of their use. VERDICT A stirring choice. Pair with DK/Smithsonian's The Vietnam War: The Definitive Illustrated or portions of the documentary The Vietnam War: A Film by Ken Burns & Lynn Novick for a more complete picture of the war and its surrounding circumstances.-Maggie Knapp, Trinity Valley School, Fort Worth, TX

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Starred review from January 1, 2018
Grades 7-10 *Starred Review* This fascinating, comprehensive plunge into the Vietnam War finds its heart and soul in six rich, diverse interviews that Partridge conducted with veterans, each of whom recounts their experience with such effortlessness that it's as if they never left the warand, in some ways, perhaps they haven't. Their stories are woven into a sweeping, chronological narrative of the war, which delivers the facts, nicely pitched for the age range, while taking significant looks at notable protesters, politicians, and presidents, whose beliefs and, at times, misguided patriotism dramatically affected America's involvement in the conflict. Partridge is highly conscious of diversity, bringing a wide scope of voices to the tablereaders will hear from foot soldiers, refugees, medics, singers, Vietnam natives, and memorial creatorswhile constantly alternating the action between the American home front and what's happening on the ground in Vietnam. Partridge excels at interconnecting themes and illustrating connections between the global and the personal, and, along the way, lightly explores PTSD and the mental health effects Vietnam vets suffered, often in silence, after they returned home as scarred men and women. With an impressive amount of well-chosen photographs, this is a necessary, conscientious look at a factious time in American and world history.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)