Synopses & Reviews
“Cullin is an unusually sophisticated theorist of human nature.”–The New York Times Book Review
Hollis and Debra have settled into their golden years in a gated community outside of Tucson. Although they are devoted to each other, events that took place decades earlier have left Hollis with a deep-seated trauma–and with a secret he has never been able to share with his wife. When Debra is diagnosed with cancer, she makes her husband a simple request–“Tell me about us”–which forces Hollis to revisit his past.
In 1950, Hollis fought in the Korean War alongside the bigoted but charismatic Bill McCreedy. McCreedy seems to have it all, although he is a mercurial soldier whose ungovernable behavior is often at odds with what Hollis believes to be right. Now, years later, Hollis is haunted by memories of McCreedy and his own wartime actions that he had tried to suppress. These recollections eventually lead him from the body-strewn battlefields of Korea to the remote farmhouse in Texas where McCreedy had grown up–and for the first time he finds himself examining his and Debras life to understand how chance had played a hand in bringing them together.
Mitch Cullin, one of todays most celebrated young novelists, captures some of the most difficult themes in literature: fate, love, and death. The Post-War Dream is literary fiction of the highest order.
Review
"This touching, quintessentially American story of marriage, aging, and the fading Greatest Generation is enhanced by poetic prose, vivid accounts of war, and sympathetic characters whom many of us will find familiar." Library Journal
Review
"Cullin's brilliantly clear descriptions of both emotions and landscapes give this story a near-mystical feel." Booklist
Synopsis
Hollis and Debra have settled into their golden years in a gated community outside of Tucson. Although they are devoted to each other, events that took place decades earlier have left him with a deep-seated trauma and with a secret he has never been able to share with his wife. When Debra is diagnosed with cancer, she makes her husband a simple request "Tell me about us" which forces Hollis to revisit his past.
In 1950, Hollis fought in the Korean War alongside the bigoted but charismatic Bill McCreedy. McCreedy seems to have it all, including a girl he's going to marry when he returns home, but he is killed in the first few weeks of his tour of duty. Only Hollis witnesses his death, and he makes sure that the undignified truth will never emerge. Hollis eventually returns to America as a hero, though he is unable to think about anything but the war. His memories eventually lead him to the dusty town in Texas where McCreedy grew up, and to the girl that McCreedy had promised to marry.
In rapturous prose, Cullin captures some of the most difficult themes in literature: fate, love, and death. The Post-War Dream is literary fiction of the highest order.
About the Author
MITCH CULLIN is the author of eight books, including A Slight Trick of the Mind, Tideland, and Branches, a novel-in-verse. He divides his time between Californias San Gabriel Valley and Tokyo, Japan, and in addition to writing fiction he collaborates on various projects with the artist Peter I. Chang.
Reading Group Guide
1. Do you think that Hollis would suffer from the traumatic flashbacks of his time in the Korean War if he was not faced with his wifes illness and probable death?
2. Why is it so important for Debra to have Hollis “tell her about us?” Do you think that each spouse has a different version of their story of courtship and marriage?
3. How does the recurring cycle of war in our countrys history affect each generation?
4. What constitutes a good marriage? Do Hollis and Debra have a good marriage?
5. Do you believe in chance? How did chance play a role in bringing Debra and Hollis together?
6. Do you fear loss? What do you consider worse: loss of love, hope, youth?
7. Do you consider Hollis life a dream or nightmare? How does memory affect each version?
For more about the book and author visit www.mitchcullin.com