Sacramento Public Library discussion

It’s October—a very special month here because this is the month of the One Book Sacramento read and program series. This year we’re featuring What it is Like to Go to War by Karl Marlantes. A bestselling writer of both fiction and non-fiction, Marlantes is also a veteran and recipient of the Navy Cross in 1969. This book weaves accounts of his combat experience with analysis and self-examination. As you read we’re encouraging everyone to think about what it means to come home from war, for our veterans, as well as for the rest of us.

Please join the discussion of the book on this page or at any of the other events that are part of our One Book Sacramento program series, which include book and film discussions, memoir workshops, conversations with local veterans and more.

The war experience and that of the returning veteran is not limited to this book, of course. If you have read something else that relates to this topic, please be sure share below. Also, if you have attended one of the programs and have a comment, please share that too.

I really enjoyed reading Unbroken earlier this year. I hadn't realized going in to it that Zamperini was a runner. That made it even more engaging, and bittersweet. I have read too many heavy books and need to read a few lighter ones before I head in to this one.

I just attended one of the One Book/One Film viewings and discussions. The film was "Flags of Our Fathers" and it was followed by a discussion with Bill, a local Vietnam veteran who spoke about the true costs of war on a personal level. He mentioned it had taken him 45 years to get help for the mental and physical costs of his service. Before that he had never spoken to anyone about what happened or how he was feeling.

A lot of the discussion was also about how it feels to come home when you have changed so much--a topic covered by Marlantes in his book. How might we change the way soldiers come home Marlantes asks and offers some suggestions. Just walking off the airplane into normal life isn't possible, a point Bill brought home quite vividly as did the movie we had watched.

To see the list of all of our One Book Programs visit http://www.saclibrary.org/Home/Events...

I remember interviewing my mother's boyfriend about his post-war experience returning home. That was the only time I ever saw him cry.

This has been a very difficult challenge for me personally. This is not the type of book that I generally read and in the end, I was unable to finish because it was so heavy. I do think that I will pick up the book at another time, however, because it was so thought provoking and powerful.

The library chose this difficult topic because California has the largest veteran population of any state. Reaching out to our region’s veterans is a major goal for the Sacramento Public Library. In February, the Southgate Library opened a new Veteran’s Resource Station to connect veterans with services. Soon a second station will open at our Central Library.

You may have thought that this book was not for you, but it truly is a book that should be read. Be sure to check out the reviews of Marlantes' two books posted on the saclib Goodreads page:

Matterhorn: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

What it's Like to Go To War https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Many thanks to both Susan and Dawn who read the book and commented in this thread and the October What Are You Reading thread.

Be sure not to miss our final One Book Sacramento Event, coming 2pm this Sunday at Central, a USO style family friendly concert with tributes to performers Robin Williams and Bob Hope.

I would not have read this if you hadn't challenged us to do so. I finished it because I finish what I start (don't look at all the books Goodreads thinks I am currently reading). It was a difficult read for many reasons including the fact that the author contradicted himself. But, by the end of the book I realized that this was just another symptom of the all encompassing problem of sending young people off to kill. There is no solution to the problems it creates.