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Chapters (101)
  1. Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright
  4. Prologue
  5. Part One - Making Marriage Work
  6. Chapter 1
  7. Chapter 2
  8. Chapter 3
  9. Chapter 4
  10. Chapter 5
  11. Chapter 6
  12. Chapter 7
  13. Chapter 8
  14. Chapter 9
  15. Chapter 10
  16. Chapter 11
  17. Chapter 12
  18. Chapter 13
  19. Chapter 14
  20. Chapter 15
  21. Chapter 16
  22. Chapter 17
  23. Chapter 18
  24. Chapter 19
  25. Chapter 20
  26. Chapter 21
  27. Chapter 22
  28. Chapter 23
  29. Chapter 24
  30. Chapter 25
  31. Chapter 26
  32. Chapter 27
  33. Part Two - The Bane of Man
  34. Chapter 28
  35. Chapter 29
  36. Chapter 30
  37. Chapter 31
  38. Chapter 32
  39. Chapter 33
  40. Chapter 34
  41. Chapter 35
  42. Chapter 36
  43. Chapter 37
  44. Chapter 38
  45. Chapter 39
  46. Chapter 40
  47. Chapter 41
  48. Chapter 42
  49. Chapter 43
  50. Chapter 44
  51. Chapter 45
  52. Chapter 46
  53. Chapter 47
  54. Chapter 48
  55. Chapter 49
  56. Chapter 50
  57. Chapter 51
  58. Chapter 52
  59. Part Three - The Creation of the Wife
  60. Chapter 53
  61. Chapter 54
  62. Chapter 55
  63. Chapter 56
  64. Chapter 57
  65. Chapter 58
  66. Chapter 59
  67. Chapter 60
  68. Chapter 61
  69. Chapter 62
  70. Chapter 63
  71. Chapter 64
  72. Chapter 65
  73. Chapter 66
  74. Chapter 67
  75. Chapter 68
  76. Chapter 69
  77. Chapter 70
  78. Chapter 71
  79. Chapter 72
  80. Chapter 73
  81. Chapter 74
  82. Chapter 75
  83. Chapter 76
  84. Chapter 77
  85. Chapter 78
  86. Chapter 79
  87. Chapter 80
  88. Chapter 81
  89. Chapter 82
  90. Chapter 83
  91. Chapter 84
  92. Chapter 85
  93. Chapter 86
  94. Chapter 87
  95. Chapter 88
  96. Chapter 89
  97. Epilogue
  98. Dedication
  99. Acknowledgments
  100. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  101. What’s next onyour reading list?

They were silent a few moments, the only noise the clinking of utensils against plates. Then he said, “Aren’t you hungry, Doll? You’re just picking at your food.”

“No, I’m fine, Byron.” She took a bite of the Hamburger-Tomato-Macaroni Medley to prove it, though it stuck in her throat going down.

Chapter 47

ON THE TRAIN TO PINE RAPIDS
Wednesday, November 21, 1945

He could see Buck’s eyes. Shining white in the filthy face.

Numberless nights. Crouched in their foxhole anticipating a Jap bayonet charge, dungarees stinking, skin smeared with filth and foul with scabs. Their boondockers crusted with the mud they’d slogged through that day and all the days before. Hollow-eyed, more gaunt by the day. Atrabine-yellow skin. Teeth clenched, mouths foul. Their rasping breath tasting the rank air; their ears tuned to every screech of the jungle, every whir of insects, every scuttle of lizards. Knowing there were Japs out there, creeping toward them.

He could hear Buck’s voice. “You couldn’t tell this if you wanted to. There’s no beginning or end. It’s the rest of our fucking lives. Not in a line like you think of life, but pinging around inside a goddamn circus fun house we can’t get out of.”

Buck had died on Tarawa in 1943.

JJ opened his eyes, blinking against the lights of the train.

Someday, he thought, he would read a history of the Pacific War and try to put his memories into order. Surely, someone had to know what had happened out there, and why, and when.

He checked his watch, foolishly, as though it would give him some measure. But all he could tell was that the train seemed to be running right on time.

He was getting a bad cramp in the leg that wasn’t there, and shifted his weight to try to curtail it. It did no good, of course.

Phantom limb pain, they were told it was called. They were told they weren’t crazy. When Dixon had been in the bed next to his in California, the two of them had had good laughs about it. “Phantom pain,” one of them would call out, and the other would answer, “Phantom, hell, mine hurts!”