Dive in and take off--this book will whisk you to the tony neighborhood where houses are grand, schools are exclusive and friendships are shallow. Maybe a perfect place for secrets . . .
There were some little questions along the way, but nothing big enough to slow the momentum of this fast-paced read. Although the cover teaser is confusing (you'll see when you read it), the book is great. If you need a great plane or beach book, look no further.
Raised blocks apart in Philadelphia, Bill Guarnere and Babe Heffron first met during active duty in WWII. This book takes us from those dark days of wondering if they would see the sun come up again, to their deep and enduring friendship back home. I was consistently amazed at their ability to remember details of their battles, surroundings, and feelings recalled so many years later--it felt so real and the descriptions were so raw, it was as if the war were yesterday. Their comaradarie and humor undoubtedly saw them through their transitions back to civilian life, and maybe that's part of what cemented their friendship. But perhaps they were just destined to be brothers forever, joined by a horrible tragedy. If you're a aficionado of the miniseries, Band of Brothers, you'll appreciate Bill and Babe's willingness to share even more of their story with you.
Have you ever donated blood? If not, there is a questionnaire that you fill out prior to donating, which includes lots of questions about lifestyle, travel, and family history of diseases. Included is the question about having ever had Chagas disease. Seemed rare, exotic and unlikely . . . until I read this book. Holy guacamole. Apparently this disease can be no big deal, not even affecting you at all, or it can be quite deadly and frankly, horrific. Enter the "kissing bug" (Trypanosoma cruzi, so you get why they call it by its easier name), which, on its own isn't a bad guy, but when infected itself by the Chagas parasite, can wreak havoc on, well, us. And here's another fun fact--we have them right here in the United States! All fraidy-cat exclamations aside, this book dives into not only the disease, transmission and effects, but what has been described as "the great epi divide". This gives you something to chew on for a while. It's highly informative but very readable, and believe me, you'll think a lot more about how lucky you are not to be checking that box next time you give blood.
