The Reunion

Walsh (The Unfinished Gift) has penned a multifaceted story around the lives of Aaron Miller, a Vietnam veteran who has fallen upon hard times; Dave Russo, a reporter in search of heroic stories from that unpopular war; and a host of supporting characters who deal with their fair share of despair and misery. As Russo searches for Miller, we learn that these two strangers have much in common. Initial chapters plod along at an agonizing pace as Walsh lays the foundation with unending tales of trials and tribulations. Once he sets his woebegone cast on paths of restoration, however, the story clips along breezily. A predictable tale of forgiveness and redemption, the writing at times seems clichéd and formulaic, and readers with an eye for detail may find Walsh’s occasional lapses in continuity frustrating. Still, the novelist manages to capture an emotionally wrenching depth in the relationships developed, and no doubt many will be reaching for the tissues in the easily foreseeable conclusion. Agent: Karen Solem. (Sept.)