Review of Brothers Bound
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Rajnee Varma
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Review of Brothers Bound
[Following is a volunteer review of "Brothers Bound" by Bruce K. Berger.]
Author Bruce K. Berger describes his book, Brothers Bound, as semi-autobiographical fiction. It is a historical war story that narrates the story of two Americans captured by the VC during the Vietnam War, written in first person from the perspective of Buck. Buck and Hues, two army brothers in their early twenties, completed their advanced training together at Ft. Polk, Louisiana, and were sent to Vietnam in 1969. Buck was assigned to the Casualty Branch, where his job was to write letters to the soldiers’ families. Hues was assigned to the Graves Registration Unit, where the teams had to gather the bodies of the soldiers and rescue the injured. Amid intense firefights and bombings, Buck had joined Hues for a rescue operation, but their helicopter was hit and it crashed. They were captured by the VC and taken to a POW camp where they were starved, forced to do manual work, brutally beaten, and prohibited from talking. Confined to a dense forest infested with insects, leeches, snakes, and wild animals, their chances of survival were grim. Their only strength was their brotherhood, accompanied by faith in God and hope.
The author has done a stellar job of writing such a compelling story of friendship, resilience, love, hope, and survival. Hues is an awe-inspiring character—he lived for humanity, helping and preaching to people on the streets, writing and singing psalms since he was only 15 years old. Both Buck and Hues were born Christians but were differently affected by the church. Hues lost his family tragically and was mentored by a Baptist minister, Reverend Brown, who taught him lessons of hope, love, and the power of prayer, bringing him nearer to God. Buck was a regular churchgoer, but when the minister ran away with a much younger woman, leaving his family behind, his belief was shattered, and he distanced himself from church, questioning God and His actions. Through the two characters, the author sheds light on how adults can influence young minds, either positively or negatively.
As Buck recounts their days in captivity, the readers learn about the brutality of the Viet Cong, the guerrilla force that fought against South Vietnam and the United States. At the same time, Buck contemplates the innocent, civilian Vietnamese who were caught between the war and their villages were destroyed in bombings. He remembers the prayers and the psalms written by Hues and how he learned the power of prayer. The job descriptions of men in the Casualty Branch and the Graves Registration units are informative and illustrate the mental turmoil of dealing with the dead and the injured and the difficult task of writing letters to the soldiers’ families.
The author has shown a significant aspect of war—the harrowing experience of being a prisoner of war. Buck and Hues experienced the horrors of war without being on active combat duty. They could have died in captivity due to malnutrition or infectious diseases, beaten to death or shot dead, or they could have been killed in a firefight or bombing. Even if they tried to escape, they could have been lost in the deep forest, recaptured, killed by the Americans mistaking them for the VCs, or succumbed to the dangers of the jungle, including wild animals that freely roamed. There is nothing about the book that needs improvement or is worth criticizing. I gladly rate it 5 out of 5 stars.
Written by someone who served in the US Army, including one year in Vietnam, this poignant story of the human spirit is authentic and inspiring. The final twist in the story is on another level. Readers can attribute it either to the power of faith or to the hallucinations of a delirious mind. I would strongly recommend it to people who like war stories that evoke compassion and question the validity of war.
******
Brothers Bound
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Author Bruce K. Berger describes his book, Brothers Bound, as semi-autobiographical fiction. It is a historical war story that narrates the story of two Americans captured by the VC during the Vietnam War, written in first person from the perspective of Buck. Buck and Hues, two army brothers in their early twenties, completed their advanced training together at Ft. Polk, Louisiana, and were sent to Vietnam in 1969. Buck was assigned to the Casualty Branch, where his job was to write letters to the soldiers’ families. Hues was assigned to the Graves Registration Unit, where the teams had to gather the bodies of the soldiers and rescue the injured. Amid intense firefights and bombings, Buck had joined Hues for a rescue operation, but their helicopter was hit and it crashed. They were captured by the VC and taken to a POW camp where they were starved, forced to do manual work, brutally beaten, and prohibited from talking. Confined to a dense forest infested with insects, leeches, snakes, and wild animals, their chances of survival were grim. Their only strength was their brotherhood, accompanied by faith in God and hope.
The author has done a stellar job of writing such a compelling story of friendship, resilience, love, hope, and survival. Hues is an awe-inspiring character—he lived for humanity, helping and preaching to people on the streets, writing and singing psalms since he was only 15 years old. Both Buck and Hues were born Christians but were differently affected by the church. Hues lost his family tragically and was mentored by a Baptist minister, Reverend Brown, who taught him lessons of hope, love, and the power of prayer, bringing him nearer to God. Buck was a regular churchgoer, but when the minister ran away with a much younger woman, leaving his family behind, his belief was shattered, and he distanced himself from church, questioning God and His actions. Through the two characters, the author sheds light on how adults can influence young minds, either positively or negatively.
As Buck recounts their days in captivity, the readers learn about the brutality of the Viet Cong, the guerrilla force that fought against South Vietnam and the United States. At the same time, Buck contemplates the innocent, civilian Vietnamese who were caught between the war and their villages were destroyed in bombings. He remembers the prayers and the psalms written by Hues and how he learned the power of prayer. The job descriptions of men in the Casualty Branch and the Graves Registration units are informative and illustrate the mental turmoil of dealing with the dead and the injured and the difficult task of writing letters to the soldiers’ families.
The author has shown a significant aspect of war—the harrowing experience of being a prisoner of war. Buck and Hues experienced the horrors of war without being on active combat duty. They could have died in captivity due to malnutrition or infectious diseases, beaten to death or shot dead, or they could have been killed in a firefight or bombing. Even if they tried to escape, they could have been lost in the deep forest, recaptured, killed by the Americans mistaking them for the VCs, or succumbed to the dangers of the jungle, including wild animals that freely roamed. There is nothing about the book that needs improvement or is worth criticizing. I gladly rate it 5 out of 5 stars.
Written by someone who served in the US Army, including one year in Vietnam, this poignant story of the human spirit is authentic and inspiring. The final twist in the story is on another level. Readers can attribute it either to the power of faith or to the hallucinations of a delirious mind. I would strongly recommend it to people who like war stories that evoke compassion and question the validity of war.
******
Brothers Bound
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: The North Factor by Ben Schneider
