I guess Anna's Boys is fiction. That's what it's classified under--Historical Fiction. So the characters in this story aren't real, right? Could've fooled me. Very rarely do I connect with characters such as I have in Anna's Boys. Although we grew up (although I'm still 'growing up') in different eras, I can see all of the characters of the story in my friends--and myself.

Maybe I should give a quick summary. Anna Francelli lives in a small town in Pennsylvania. She is a widow with two kids, Johnny and Christine, although she acts as a beacon of strength and hope to her kids as well as their friends. The book revolves around Johnny and his friends as they are caught in the Vietnam War, with some being drafted and splitting apart the group. The war ultimately leaves all of them changed men, never being able to return to the great times they once had in High School. After Vietnam, the book then jumps ahead to the kids in their 50's as they watch another war develop around them.

There are so many emotions going on at different times. Some incredibly sad, some humorous, and some...just making you feel good. The characters are so varied that it's hard to not relate to one of them.
-Chris
A Look at the Events that Shaped a Generation, May 29, 2006

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