Friends Journal Praises ‘The Pacifist’ as a ‘Real Page-Turner’
A reviewer for Friends Journal praises The Pacifist for its accurate depictions of the late 1960s, the antiwar subculture, and the engaging writing, calling the novel a “real page-turner.” Congratulations to author Lyn Bixby!
Here’s an excerpt of the review:
Set in 1968 at the height of the Vietnam War, Chris Thompson goes to the U.S. Army induction center in Boston, Mass., prepared to refuse going into the army. When he does not step forward when ordered to do so, two soldiers grab him by the arms and remove him from the room. After several minutes, the other draftees hear a big commotion, and an ambulance is called.
The army claims that Chris, who had shared he was working with the Boston Draft Resistance, accidentally fell down a flight of stairs, and he dies in a hospital without regaining consciousness. Chris’s sister, Lisa, is convinced that the army lied and intentionally killed her brother. She vows to discover the truth which means she has to take on the U.S. government.
Like any good whodunit, the plot of The Pacifist takes many twists and turns before we learn what actually happened to Chris and why. In the process, we meet a variety of characters and suspects including corrupt army officers, heroin dealers, an FBI informant, a courageous civil rights attorney, a couple of draft resistance activists who conduct a midnight raid on the army’s induction center, and two new recruits who are determined to do everything they can to get kicked out of the military. In virtually every scene, there’s a mysterious character who calls himself “Johnny Dollar” and appears to make his living shining shoes and working as a janitor in the FBI office.
I found the book to be a real page-turner. … The Pacifist would appeal to others besides those of us who lived through those tumultuous times. I found it relevant because today’s political environment has so many similarities to the 1960s. It’s inspiring to see how the characters in this book are willing to take on “the system” and ultimately succeed.
Read the full review here.