A River in May

A Vietnam War novel that gives voice to the dispossessed, this powerful and profound work introduces Lieutenant Lopez—an American of Mexican heritage—who volunteers for a tour of duty to escape personal tragedy. Assigned to a remote border camp defended by a U.S. Special Forces team and by Vietnamese irregulars, Lopez gradually grows out of his shell of self-pity only to become fully aware of the brutality, cynicism, and injustice of war. Unflinching and unsettling, this novel asks the moving question How far will one individual go to right the wrongs of his country before betraying his fellow soldiers?