The Reunion

July 9, 2012
Walsh (The Unfinished Gift) has penned a multifaceted story around the lives of Aaron Miller, a Vietnam veteran who has fallen upon hard times; Dave Russo, a reporter in search of heroic stories from that unpopular war; and a host of supporting characters who deal with their fair share of despair and misery. As Russo searches for Miller, we learn that these two strangers have much in common. Initial chapters plod along at an agonizing pace as Walsh lays the foundation with unending tales of trials and tribulations. Once he sets his woebegone cast on paths of restoration, however, the story clips along breezily. A predictable tale of forgiveness and redemption, the writing at times seems clichéd and formulaic, and readers with an eye for detail may find Walsh’s occasional lapses in continuity frustrating. Still, the novelist manages to capture an emotionally wrenching depth in the relationships developed, and no doubt many will be reaching for the tissues in the easily foreseeable conclusion. Agent: Karen Solem.

August 1, 2012
Aaron Miller knows he is no hero. Like thousands of other soldiers, he served his country in Vietnam. When Aaron returns home, he certainly isn't a hero to his wife, who eventually divorces him and takes their two kids. Aaron certainly isn't a hero during the years he spends living on the streets, trying to put the pieces of his life back together. Even now that he has finally cleaned himself up, Aaron's job as handyman at Bentley's Trailer Park and Campground in Florida certainly could not be called heroic. However, Aaron is about to discover other people may have a different definition of a hero when reporter Dave Russo tracks him down to interview him as part of a book he is writing on men who served in the Vietnam War. Walsh's latest feel-good, emotionally rich tale of faith, hope, family, and love is certain to resonate with readers of Philip Gulley or Richard Evans.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)