Matt’s injury leaves him unsure how he was involved when a young Iraqi boy was shot. Returning to combat, he scans for danger and worries about whether he can act when required.
More about this book
When Private Matt Duffy wakes up in an army hospital in Iraq, he's honored with a Purple Heart. But he doesn't feel like a hero.There's a memory that haunts him: an image of a young Iraqi boy as a bullet hits his chest. A little boy who'd been Matt's friend. And Matt can't shake the feeling that he was somehow involved in his death. But because of a head injury he sustained just moments after the boy was shot, Matt can't quite put all the pieces together.Eventually Matt is sent back into combat with his squad—Justin, Wolf, and Charlene—the soldiers who have become his family during his time in Iraq. He's counting on his buddies to help find out the truth. But in combat, there is no black and white, and Matt soon discovers that the notion of who is guilty is very complicated indeed.National Book Award Finalist Patricia McCormick has written a visceral and compelling portrait of life in a war zone, where loyalty is valued above all, and death is terrifyingly commonplace.
GuiltThe available evidence does not establish the book's treatment of this theme. See Confidence & Basis for the evidence gap.Moral uncertaintyThe available evidence does not establish the book's treatment of this theme. See Confidence & Basis for the evidence gap.WarThe available evidence does not establish the book's treatment of this theme. See Confidence & Basis for the evidence gap.
Consider
Violence and harmEmotional intensityViolence
Personalised Fit
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Matt cannot fully recall how he was involved when a young Iraqi boy was shot, and he struggles with whether he is a hero or guilty.AmbiguousAmbiguous: the book leaves its position open to more than one reasonable reading.Ambiguous: the book leaves its position open to more than one reasonable reading.
How the book presents it: Matt’s incomplete memory and the complicated circumstances of combat make responsibility difficult to assign.
Talk about: What does Matt think he knows, and what remains uncertain to him?
Memory and injury
Matt’s traumatic brain injury leaves him struggling to recall what happened and how it relates to the boy.Exploratory / explanatoryExploratory / explanatory: the book explains or explores the subject without an established evaluative position.Exploratory / explanatory: the book explains or explores the subject without an established evaluative position.
How the book presents it: The injury is presented as part of why Matt’s recollection is incomplete, shaping how the story reveals events.
Talk about: How does Matt’s incomplete memory affect what he believes about the incident?
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Why It May Be Worth Reading
The story centres on how incomplete memory complicates Matt’s sense of guilt and heroism, while showing the strain of combat and the loyalty of his squad.
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What Deserves Attention
Expect wartime danger and death, including the shooting of a child, alongside a soldier’s traumatic brain injury and fear about acting under fire.
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A Conversation Worth Having
If Matt’s memories become clearer, how might that change the way he understands responsibility for the boy’s death?
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Reading Approach
Read in manageable stretches and pause after combat scenes. A brief check-in about how Matt’s uncertainty is affecting you can help decide whether to continue or take a break.
Confidence & Basis
Theme indicators describe how the book presents a topic; they are not a verdict on the whole book or your family's values. Confidence reflects how much book-specific material was checked. Only part of the book information was available, so some details remain unconfirmed.
What remains unconfirmed
Responsibility in combat: The ending and any final resolution of responsibility are not established.
Memory and injury: Some details of this treatment remain unclear.
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