MWSA Review

The Birdhouse Man by Rick Destefanis is an interesting, well written story that brings together a Vietnam veteran, an Iraq War veteran, and his daughter. In many ways, all three are now alone in life. Sam, a veteran of the Vietnam War is a widower and lives alone. Claire, the Iraq War veteran's daughter, is a college student whose mother and grandfather have passed away. Her father suffers from a traumatic brain injury and abandoned the family when Claire was young. He is homeless, and his whereabouts are unknown. Claire convinces Sam to help her with her college thesis on the Vietnam War, something her grandfather was doing until he passed away. In doing so, Sam opens up and faces the memories of many combat experiences he had not talked about in years. Claire develops a better understanding of what her grandfather and Sam went through during the war. During the interviews, Sam convinces Claire that they should look for her father. This is a good book that brings to light the hardship of combat and its aftermath. I recommend it. 

Review by Bob Doerr (July 2020)

Author's Synopsis

Sam Walker pulls no punches when he tells his Vietnam War story to college journalism student, Claire Cunningham. As Sam shares his unapologetic and unvarnished viewpoint, he begins to suspect Claire’s thesis work isn’t her only reason for interviewing him. When his tale unfolds, the seventy-three-year-old veteran and the young woman discover they are both grappling with questions, loss, and loneliness, but believe that together they may find some answers to help bring the closure that has eluded them.

ISBN/ASIN: 978-1-7331833-4-5
Book Format(s): Hard cover, Kindle
Review Genre: Fiction—Historical Fiction
Number of Pages: 332