The first thing Leroy sees when he wakes up from his coma is a picture of a pin-up girl in a bikini, her face painted in the colors of the American flag. The image is as vivid as the seven years that separate his departure for Iraq from the precise moment he awakens in a specialized facility. Having forgotten even his own name, will he ever be able to become the man he once was? As he makes a terrible decision, his fate will change the lives of those around him forever: Freddie
The first thing Leroy sees when he wakes up from his coma is a picture of a pin-up girl in a bikini, her face painted in the colors of the American flag. A vision as vivid as the seven years that separate his departure for Iraq from that precise moment he awakens in a specialized facility. Having forgotten even his own name, will he ever be able to become the man he once was? As he makes a terrible decision, his fate will shatter the lives of those around him: Freddie, a night watchman; Pauline, a nurse; his girlfriend Jeanette; and his mother, Darla, who continues to read science fiction novels aloud to him. While Leroy struggles to survive in a disturbing parallel world… Following Motel Life and Plein nord, Willy Vlautin delivers a powerful novel about those forgotten by the American dream. A magnificent book about those who cling to life against all odds, where courage and compassion counterbalance the darkness of everyday life.
