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This articulate historical novel explores the ideological underpinnings of war and challenges popular, patriotic narratives about the moral superiority of capitalism. Will, a Vietnam veteran, grapples with the epigenetic trauma passed on by his emotionally distant father. His father's disastrous experience during WWII leaves him ashamed and unable to emotionally support his son. This lack is magnified by Will's first childhood hunting experience, and later, his distress as an enlisted Marine during the final, controversial months of the Vietnam conflict. Will's post-war life becomes shadowed by "the beast"—a struggle with anger and PTSD.
When Will begins to research his family tree, he discovers a distant relative of his German mother living nearby in a managed care facility. Will strikes up an ongoing conversation with Johann, a proud veteran of the Nazi Waffen-SS. Johann's confidence and patriotic stance toward Germany initially puzzle Will. But he continues to visit, seeking personal clarification about the nuances of war and warriorhood with the recognition that the strings of economics and politics are pulled by profiteers in the background.
Canfield cleverly turns up the literary heat with the inclusion of an Auschwitz survivor, Lena, in the ongoing conversation, sparing the reader no discomfort with the multilayered exploration of war crimes and abuses of power. The three damaged souls are more similar than different in their tragic losses and quests to find equanimity and redemption. Canfield's novel is billed as a Socratic dialogue, and there's apt comparison between the descent of Germany into genocidal delusion and America's similar historic abuses with slavery and the devastation of Native American cultures as "manifest destiny" is a salient point for deeper examination.
A 2025 Eric Hoffer Book Award Category Finalist