The Right Fight

The prolific Lynch follows his Vietnam series of novels (including I Pledge Allegiance and, most recently, Casualties of War) with one set during WWII. This first book follows Roman Bucyk, a minor league baseball star who enlists in the U.S. Army in 1941, where he discovers a talent as a tank driver. As Roman’s journey takes him from the last baseball game of the season through training and finally being sent overseas, he witnesses and reflects on the horror of war and the righteousness of taking the fight to the Nazis. As the campaign in North Africa intensifies, Roman’s newfound bond with the rest of his tank crew is tested, as is his relationship with his fiancée, Hannah, back home. Lynch doesn’t pull any punches in this slim but powerful volume, chronicling Roman’s exploits with an almost dreamlike sense of atmosphere, coupled with a keen ear for dialogue and intense battle scenes. Though aimed at younger readers, Lynch doesn’t write down, instead offering a powerful taste of war on a personal level. Ages 10–14. (Jan.)