Carrying — Theodore Weesner

Theodore Weesner's final novel, Carrying, is a gritty and realistic work that throws the reader into the detonating heart of the first Iraqi war. With unapologetic candor, Weesner navigates the psychological minefield surrounding South Boston native Jimmy Murphy, a young soldier who pens a secret journal to his old English professor, Herman Roth. Jimmy's life pulsates with rage, racial prejudice, and unfulfilled desire as he fights to become the top gunner of the elite 2nd Cavalry Tank Division. His rapid rise through the ranks gives him a sense of purpose and order, even as the war descends into chaos, and Iraq transforms into a wasteland of burning oil wells and charred corpses. But when it's all over, will he really be able to leave the war behind? This timely novel inserts itself into the zeitgeist of the young soldiers who return home, but never quite leave the battlefield, carrying the deepest wounds of shock, fear, and aggression. With his signature penetrative style, Weesner beautifully renders one soldier's heart breaking coming-of-age journey in the midst of terror and endless war.