A devastating massacre during the Vietnam War and a governmental war against drugs are used to shine light on modern issues in John Witherow’s exciting historical novel, The Gap: Fort Indiantown. In June 1990, twenty-two-year-old, Mark Ashford arrives for his first assignment in Muir Army Airfield at Fort Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania. Now a helicopter pilot and a platoon leader, Ashford is tasked to lead proficient veterans, a difficult assignment he soon comes to realize. Nick Trent, the best combat pilot during the Vietnam War, is now a different man carrying the weight of events from the past and who relishes defying authority which includes Ashford. Meanwhile, the war against drugs rages on. Vietnam veteran Deric Christy, now a convicted felon on drug-related charges and fugitive, lives as a condemned man by the same government that sent him to Vietnam. His young nephew is also implicated in a crime that involves drugs. The Gap:Fort Indiantown brings attention to an important current topic- the war against drugs- through the experiences of characters in the novel. The main characters are well-developed. Each has a backstory that explains their current lives. The events in the book are revealing and emotionally impactful. They show the aftermath of the horror of war, particularly the Vietnam War, on the soldiers involved. The experiences have a life-long effect. The plot switches between the Vietnam War and the veterans’ current lives which breaks the sequence of events in the book and makes the work absorbing. The contention between Ashford and Trent and the uneasiness of some of the other men creates an intriguing bit in the novel right from the start of the book. The Gap:Fort Indiantown by John Witherow is an outstanding historical work that inspires thought on crucial themes examined through the lives of its authentic characters. A well-written, interesting and captivating story novel and highly recommended by Chick Lit Cafe.
