Earl Griffin

book review by Joe Kilgore

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"I spent days composing this. I compiled it not on blank paper but upon the torn scarred fabric of my mind."

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Fiction has the ability---in the hands of an exceptional writer---to transport readers into worlds both familiar and foriegn, to evoke both laughter and tears, to incite longing or escape. All of the potential powers that novels possess are fully realized in this sweeping generational saga of love, loss, and resiliience.

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In Part One, a young Texan leaves a supporting mother and a domineering father to take up arms in the conflagration that was World War II. He is befriended by a tough but fair sergeant who leads him into the hell on earth that was the battle for Okinawa. There, he experiences a sublime moment of love amid the insanity of mechanized death. It is a moment that will haunt him forever.

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As Part Two begins, the Texan has grown old. His son is a pariah in their rural community and soon finds himself in the middle of a murder trial. He is defended by a wily local lawyer and his associate, a relative newcomer. As the trial unwinds, so too do revelations of unfathomable brutality, unquestioned loyalty, and an unremitting search for truth, justice, and what sometimes makes the two incompatible.

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Griffin is a writer of exceptional skill. He creates characters that spring from the page full-bodied in fear and bravery, self-doubt and confidence, savagery and kindness---all the conflicting emotions that make us human. He is equally adept at depicting scenes of intense violence or intimate compassion. His storytelling prowess compels you to keep turning pages, while his potent prose invites you to linger. In both substance and style, Griffin has created a major work of fiction that deserves all the praise it is likely to receive.