[You won’t find me listed in their yearbook, but I have been accorded the privilege of being an honorary member of the Mount Saint Joseph Class of 1964. If the MSJ folks updated their yearbook today, they would point to Mark Treanor as being one of their most illustrious members. Here’s what some reviewers on Goodreads had to say about his novel, A Quiet Cadence.
Silverbelle Sandy, a real MSJ member of the Class of 1964, and I both read this book and highly recommend it, although it is a brutal reminder of what a painful period this was in American history. SB SM]
Here’s what some reviewers from Goodreads had to say:
As a Marine Officer who served in Vietnam I can attest that this is a must-read book for Americans who want to understand both what combat is like and how memories of that combat are carried forever.
The vast majority of people who go to war are never completely safe, but also aren’t routinely exposed to enemy fire. For the small percentage who are, some come home physically and mentally battered for life. For others, often bruised not battered but with strong memories, they have a different view of life which they carry forever.
This book has been endorsed by America’s most respected military leaders of the past generation because it tells the story of this different view of life which is rarely understood by the majority of Americans.“
I do not usually read war novels, but I am so glad I made an exception for ‘A Quiet Cadence’. This novel combines adept character development and life philosophy within the framework of a still controversial war. The author makes you feel as though you are with the soldiers as they enter possibly hostile villages, ford rice paddies in the field and courageously pick their way through minefields, sharing a battle perspective that only war veterans have experienced. We follow the main character as he adjusts to life after his tour of duty and faces the trauma that Vietnam vets endured at home. What the author manages to do is to make the anguish personal, believable and heartbreakingly sad. This is a riveting read for civilians and any veteran, and if your book club is searching for a book that generates great discussion, add ‘A Quiet Cadence’ to your list.
A very different Vietnam experience is the subject of Grendel:The Four-Chord Opera
Part 2 of Old Rockers: The Musical Journey of Grendel is now Published!
Does Del find fame and fortune in The Big Apple? Does Greg wander astray from The Proven Path? Are you believing Cassandra? These are the questions answered in Part 3. See it, experience in on the Old Rockers, Part 2 tab on the home page of SilverbackDigest.com.