United States Marine, Bernard Shepard dies, leaving a package to be mailed to his Vietnam War comrade.
Charles Masters, settled into his writing on the coast of southern Maine, opens the package and is shocked to find a note saying that Bernard, who he knew as Shep, has died.
The package explodes with memories of a horrific incident that occurred on a rain soaked hill in Vietnam.
Thrust into a challenging journey of discovery, covering three states, three countries, and five decades, Charles is forced to search his own scars to determine and understand his culpability. Memories fl utter like a broken film in a theatre, dragging him along a haunting path of guilt and forgiveness through the lingering shadows of war.
As memories rise like molten lava from a volcano, Charles revisits both the humor and the horror of a past he thought had been long buried.
With tenacity, determination, and the support of four strong women, Charles negotiates the learning curve of an ever changing environment. Struggling through a troubled youth, a relentless war, and a return home to an angry nation, he learns the complicated intricacies of trust and loyalty.
Barry S. Jandebeur was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts and traveled the world as the son of a U.S. Naval officer. He left home and came to Maine at the age of 16. After a tour in Vietnam with the Marine Corps, he returned to marry his high school sweetheart. While his two daughters were attending college, Barry completed his degree at The University of Southern Maine graduating with honors in English. He and his wife live in southern Maine where they raised their two daughters.
Barry writes from Kingfield Cottage in Ogunquit, Maine and Cobb Farm Cabin in Bartlett, New Hampshire.
www.barrysjandebeur.com
