Charlie Author:Joanna Catherine Scott "Charlie" is a novel about an American soldier who goes to war, fathers a son and abandons him. Taken captive, he is imprisoned in a cave in a tunnel underground. Sick, Starving, alone, he becomes convinced that one of his captors is his lost son. In clear, lyrical prose, the author has written a book that is at the same time mythic and believab... more »le. It is a compassionate study not only of the protagonist, but of his captors and the women he loves. Although a number of fine Viet Nam war novels have been published, "Charlie" is unique in its concern and surpassing quality. "Charlie" is the paperback edition of the novel "Charlie and the Children". As a hardback, it was selected for The U.S. Senate Book Club and as a Book of the Month by "The Veteran", the magazine of the Vietnam Veterans of America. Lieutenant General Lavern E. Weber said it was "riveting...a heart stopper...yet more than just another story about war. In taking on the issue of the children soldiers leave behind, ['Charlie'] transforms itself into a fable for our time. I was astonished to find myself in tears." John Millett said: "Joanna C. Scott's brilliant book takes us down that cruel path all warriors follow. The cold reality of the Viet Nam conflict is gripped tightly so that we are left stunned by scenes that leap from the page. On a different level this book ranks with works like William Manchester's 'Goodbye Darkness.' The detail is lethal and exposes the futility of war, the pity of war distilled, brutal truths that no moral codes may justify. Once read, this tour de force will never be forgotten."« less