About this item
In Ithaca, New York, in 1982, Larry Markham awakes to discover his wife, Vicki, has taken their young son, Scott, and left him--not for the first time, possibly for the last. It is a deep blow to a life already in fragments: a dead-end job delivering Wonder Bread; a strained relationship with his aging father, a veteran of World War Two; and weekly visits to the VA hospital where Larry, a former Army medic, leads a support group for disabled Vietnam vets. As he struggles to win Vicki back, Larry finds he is in danger of a far more imminent sort: A disturbed member of the support group--a trained CIA assassin--has disappeared, and is stalking Larry and his family. His methods send an unmistakable message: The game will end in death. At the same time, "The Names of the Dead" is a harrowing and heartfelt portrait of the Vietnam War and the men who fought it. The year is 1968, the place A Shau valley, and Larry Markham--nineteen and green--must find a way to keep his platoon alive. Here we see the stories Larry cannot bring himself to tell--of friends who made the ultimate sacrifice in a war their country scorned. "The Names of the Dead" is the story of a man trying to find his way back to himself--a story about storytelling and memories that refuse to fade. It is the story of a man rediscovering the courage to love one woman, and, through her, the world, his country, his family, and finally himself.
About the Author
Stewart O'Nan's award-winning fiction includes Snow Angels, A Prayer for the Dying, Last Night at the Lobster, and Emily, Alone. Granta named him one of America's Best Young Novelists. He lives in Pittsburgh.www.stewart-onan.com
