Review of The Wars Among The Paines

[Amanda Donofrio]

[Following is a volunteer review of "The Wars Among The Paines" by John M. Millar.]

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2 out of 4 stars

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The War Among The Paines by John M. Millar chronicles the life of Treat Paine as he delves into the generational saga of his family's experience with war. Through several generations the Paine family has served their country in WWI, WWII, Korean and Vietnam wars. The book delves into the struggles and the lasting effects of such sacrifice on family and community.

Personally I am very interested in WWII literature and am always keen to learn more about that history. So it would come as no surprise that I was interested in the aspects of the story that dealt with the wars in general. I loved how well researched the book was, it had a real depth of truth to it. I thought that that was so critical to a book of this nature. In encompassing the human experience as it pertains to war Millar did an exemplary job of conveying the struggles and hardships that families contend with during war. As a military spouse myself and former reservist, it was important to me that the novel have a real footing in reality.

As much as I loved the aspects of the book that involved the wars, I did not feel a real connection to the main character. I found that even though I knew a lot about Treat I felt I did not really know him. A good portion of the book is dedicated to Treats formative years, discussing at length his personal history. I found that it was too involved in inconsequential matters and it detracted from the heart of the story. I never really felt a level of care for Treat, at times I found him to be quite selfish, juvenile and obnoxious. It was somewhat of a disappointment to me, because I really did want to be invested in the character.

I have rated The Wars Among The Paines 2 out of 4 stars, while I certainly enjoyed some aspects of it I felt that the book was mired in the paltry details of Treats developmental years. While I can see the importance of knowing a character's back story to gain perspective, I also felt that it was too embroiled in that time and it detracted from the main story line.

I would recommend the book to younger males, I think that they would be able to relate to the Treat more easily and thereby enjoy the read more than what I did.

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The Wars Among The Paines
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