Author and Iraq war veteran David Abrams will read from his latest novel, Brave Deeds, at Elk River Books in Livingston on Tuesday, August 29.
Abrams’ first book, Fobbit, took on the absurdities of life on a forward operating base in Iraq, and was compared to war classics like Catch-22. He embraces that black humor again in his latest work which, according to the publisher, “follows a squad of six AWOL soldiers as they attempt to cross war-torn Baghdad on foot to attend the funeral of their leader, Staff Sergeant Rafe Morgan. Cut off from all communication with their company headquarters back on the base, they find themselves struggling to survive in an inhospitable landscape.
“As the six march across Baghdad, their complicated histories, hopes, and fears are told in a chorus of voices that merge into a powerful portrait of the modern war zone and the deepest concerns of us all, military and civilian alike.”
In a starred review, the Library Journal says of Brave Deeds, “this excellent novel is believable, dramatic, and also quite funny.” Ben Fountain, author of Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk, writes that “in one very full, very messed up and hair-raising day, Brave Deeds delivers everything we could ever ask for in a novel, no less than birth, death, and all points in between. David Abrams has written a flat-out brilliant book of the Iraq War, one that reads like a compact version of the Odyssey or Going After Cacciato.”
Abrams’ work has appeared in publications including Esquire, The New York Times, and Salon, among other places. His short stories were nominated for a Pushcart Prize. He spent 20 years in the active-duty Army as a journalist.
The free event begins at 7 p.m. upstairs at Elk River Books, 120 N. Main St. in Livingston, and will be followed by a book signing and reception. For more information, call 333-2330.
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