Starred Review ALA Booklist (Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 CST 2018)

Starred Review This fascinating, comprehensive plunge into the Vietnam War finds its heart and soul in six rich, diverse interviews that Partridge conducted with veterans, each of whom recounts their experience with such effortlessness that it's as if they never left the war d, in some ways, perhaps they haven't. Their stories are woven into a sweeping, chronological narrative of the war, which delivers the facts, nicely pitched for the age range, while taking significant looks at notable protesters, politicians, and presidents, whose beliefs and, at times, misguided patriotism dramatically affected America's involvement in the conflict. Partridge is highly conscious of diversity, bringing a wide scope of voices to the table aders will hear from foot soldiers, refugees, medics, singers, Vietnam natives, and memorial creators ile constantly alternating the action between the American home front and what's happening on the ground in Vietnam. Partridge excels at interconnecting themes and illustrating connections between the global and the personal, and, along the way, lightly explores PTSD and the mental health effects Vietnam vets suffered, often in silence, after they returned home as scarred men and women. With an impressive amount of well-chosen photographs, this is a necessary, conscientious look at a factious time in American and world history.

Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews (Thu Apr 28 00:00:00 CDT 2022)

A personal, moving foray into the Vietnam War and its impact on the country and individuals whose lives it forever changed.Partridge (Dogtag Summer, 2011, etc.) takes readers on a chronological, multidimensional journey through the Vietnam War years via the personal stories of eight individuals: six American soldiers from diverse social and ethnic backgrounds, a biracial (Chinese- and Italian-American) nurse, and a Vietnamese refugee. Each segment moves readers forward in time and is interspersed with brief snapshots of what was happening at home, from glimpses of the American presidents' handling of the escalating crisis to the growing anti-war movement at home, viewed through the lens of leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr. and protest singer Country Joe McDonald. Of particular interest is the segment on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, a collaboration between veterans, government officials, and its young Chinese-American designer, Maya Lin. Emphasizing the lasting emotional legacy of the war for those who served, even as the rest of the country seemed content to put it behind them, Partridge's narrative storytelling is incisive and masterfully woven together. A superb selection of photographs puts an indelible face on the individuals whose lives the war affected.A valuable complement to existing nonfiction about the Vietnam War for young people, adding an intimate dimension to the larger history. (bibliography, source notes, index, photo credits) (Nonfiction. 12-18)

Horn Book

Partridge's indispensable volume about the Vietnam War employs a powerfully moving structure that sends readers back and forth between America and Vietnam over a twenty-year period. Each chapter centers on an individual affected: Presidents Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon; Martin Luther King Jr.; Maya Lin; etc., alternating with eight people (seven veterans, one Vietnamese refugee) Partridge interviewed. Ample direct quotes and carefully researched details, along with spectacular photographs, bring the war close. Bib., ind.

Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

A personal, moving foray into the Vietnam War and its impact on the country and individuals whose lives it forever changed.Partridge (Dogtag Summer, 2011, etc.) takes readers on a chronological, multidimensional journey through the Vietnam War years via the personal stories of eight individuals: six American soldiers from diverse social and ethnic backgrounds, a biracial (Chinese- and Italian-American) nurse, and a Vietnamese refugee. Each segment moves readers forward in time and is interspersed with brief snapshots of what was happening at home, from glimpses of the American presidents' handling of the escalating crisis to the growing anti-war movement at home, viewed through the lens of leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr. and protest singer Country Joe McDonald. Of particular interest is the segment on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, a collaboration between veterans, government officials, and its young Chinese-American designer, Maya Lin. Emphasizing the lasting emotional legacy of the war for those who served, even as the rest of the country seemed content to put it behind them, Partridge's narrative storytelling is incisive and masterfully woven together. A superb selection of photographs puts an indelible face on the individuals whose lives the war affected.A valuable complement to existing nonfiction about the Vietnam War for young people, adding an intimate dimension to the larger history. (bibliography, source notes, index, photo credits) (Nonfiction. 12-18)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Skillfully interweaving original interviews and black-and-white photos with narrative, Partridge (Marching for Freedom) evokes the political controversy and intense emotions triggered by the Vietnam War. Her spare descriptions of the physical tension between antiwar students and a discharged soldier exemplify the chasm between politicians and protestors, and between career military personnel and troops. Partridge trains a lens on five men who fought on the ground-including a medic, a field nurse, and a Vietnamese refugee. The chronicle vividly brings to light their daily lives, the discrimination some encountered, and their loyalties and moral sensitivity to the war-s unending brutality. Interspersed chapters focus on decision-making at the highest level as well as growing antiwar sentiment; a look at the protest songs of Woodstock and Martin Luther King Jr.-s agonized decision to oppose the war fits neatly. Despite her antiwar sympathies, Partridge presents the presidents- positions evenhandedly and elucidates the dilemmas they faced over the course of the war. A profoundly affecting description of the dedication