The sequel to Secondhand Summer continues Sam Barger's story with
the homecoming of his older brother, now wounded from war, and the
struggle for the two to understand and find each other again.
It's 1968, and like any other junior in high school, Sam Barger's just
trying to get by in classes and find a part-time job at the local pizza
parlor, maybe chat up the pretty girl who also works there. But when his
Marine Corps brother Joe comes back from the Vietnam War, life at home
changes. By day Joe struggles with alcoholism and by night he battles
night terrors. Sam just wants normalcy again but doesn't know how to
close the rift between the brothers, especially once he questions their
country's involvement overseas.
Set in Southcentral Alaska in the 1960s, Back Home is a heartfelt
story about the brothers and their struggles to come and understand each
other. The book reveals the lasting effects of war on young people and
draws parallels between a pivotal moment in history then to the
contemporary wars and struggles today.