Purple Heart by Patricia McCormick
Purple Heart by Patricia McCormick is the type of book that I can not recall reading anything similar to it’s subject matter: that of a 18- year-old soldier in Iraq. I’m sure they are out there but I’m not sure where they are. Private Matt Duffy is just out of high school and wakes up in an army hospital with no recollection of what landed him there. He has a head injury that leaves him confused and he even has a hard time remembering how to recall language. During his recovery, he begins to see flashbacks of an alleyway and a young Iraqi boy being shot down from a bullet that originated from his location. He’s afraid that he might have been the one to pull the trigger.
When Matt returns to his unit, he’s still not sure what happened and despite his misgivings, his superiors are willing to just sweep the incident under the carpet. It’s better to not say anything at all then incriminate ones self. But can he live with himself, if indeed, he did shoot the little boy? And will his friends who know what really happened speak up about it? And worse, will he be able to pull the trigger next time he’s commanded to shoot?
Purple Heart is an excellent book that explores the idea that war is not black and white. Instead it’s made up of boys and girls who have friends and family back home who will never understand what they experience every day. McCormick doesn’t take sides or morally addresses the rightness or the wrongness of the war but rather focuses on the men – rather the boys who are on the verge on manhood – who are fighting it. Matt Duffy is a character that many will relate to and his struggle with his conscience is also one that readers will sympathize with regardless of their own situations, war or not.
I highly recommend Purple Heart to teen boy readers, especially those with an interest in the military. It’s not often that a book like this will come along and catch their attention. And yet, Purple Heart isn’t just for boys. It’s for any reader who wants to experience the war through the eyes of a young soldier who is just trying do what is right and make sense of his newfound surroundings and friends.
As always, Patricia McCormick continues her streak of excellent books on thought provoking subjects.
Links of interest: Patricia McCormick website, more book blogger reviews. Maw Books reviews of Sold, Cut and My Brother’s Keeper also by McCormick.
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
Publisher: Balzer and Bray. September 1, 2009 – Released just this week!
Hardcover, 208 pages. ISBN 0061730904
Purple Heart is available from your favorite independent bookstore, Powell’s, and Amazon.
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Category: Book Reviews, Fiction, Young Adult
Tags: Iraq war, M-P Author, M-P Title, published 2009, review copy, war
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18 year old soldiers are in Iraq. The 18 year old grandson of a dear friend of my mother-in-law was killed there on Valentine’s Day of 2008. This sounds like an important book.
on September 8th, 2009 at 5:47 pmUnfortunately, this is our reality isn’t it? I know the perfect kid to recommend this to. He isn’t quite a teenager (although close) but has an intense interest in anything war-related. Thanks for the review!
on September 8th, 2009 at 5:56 pmKathy – I just reread my sentence. I meant the books not the soldiers. I should re-edit that.
Sandy – My brother only reads war books too. I know what you mean!
on September 8th, 2009 at 6:03 pmI’m very glad to hear about a war novel that doesn’t assume right-ness or wrong-ness of war or the war.
on September 8th, 2009 at 6:09 pmWow, sounds like an intense book! I haven’t heard of any other books on this subject, but it seems like there have been a few movies lately about the Iraq war. Thanks for recommending
on September 8th, 2009 at 7:52 pmI’ve heard excellent things about Sunrise Over Fallujah by Walter Dean Myers – a young man who goes to Iraq during the war.
on September 9th, 2009 at 8:45 amI just bought this for a military in YA theme week I’m doing later this year. Looking forward.
on September 9th, 2009 at 11:22 amThis one sounds fascinating, thanks for the review Natasha!
on September 9th, 2009 at 1:21 pmHi, thank you for this excellent review. I had been thinking about this book but I wasn’t sure. Now I am. Defintely on my TBR. Thank you.
on September 10th, 2009 at 1:35 amJo Ann Hernandez
BronzeWord Latino Authors
http://authorslatino.com/wordpress
@BronzeWord
@LatinoBookNews
I will definitely post this to twitter.
This is on my radar!
on September 13th, 2009 at 11:56 amI’m adding this one to my wish list. I like reading military stories such as this (although usually nonfiction instead of fiction).
on September 13th, 2009 at 1:14 pmThis book sounds like a very important read. Something that really makes you think about the consequences of war for those fighting it – something that we don’t really take the time to think of very frequently. Great review. This is something that I would have probably bypassed in a library or bookstore without realizing the significance of the story and the experiences that it represents.
on September 25th, 2009 at 12:21 amI am a student In high school who was asked to choose a book to write an analysis Book essay about it. I chose Purple Heart, I’m a military fan and grew up with the service. I really enjoyed reading this book I didnt want it to stop. Im glad I chose this book because I believe now it’s got to be one of my favorites
on November 12th, 2009 at 12:18 pm