Beyond Peleliu [Paperback]

Peter Baird (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 30, 2007

A must read book, not only for those who fought in wars, but for all of us living in a time of global turmoil. This book can be a source of forgiveness and healing for all who have inherited the demons of war. On the eve of the Second World War, two unlikely people get married: Tom McQuade, a relentlessly driven medical student, and Virginia Russell, an exotic mind-reading magician. The McQuades move to Boston where Tom enters a prestigious surgical residency and they celebrate the birth of their son David. The war destroys the McQuades' idyllic life together. Tom is drafted and shipped off to the South Pacific where, during the horrific Battle of Pelelui, he sustains a gunshot wound that destroys his medical ambitions and eventually drives Virginia and David from him. Forty years later, when David is a powerful San Francisco trial lawyer and Tom is in the early stages of dementia, father and son reconnect. For the first time, David learns the liberating force and redemptive power of truth.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"(Baird's) prose...strong nouns and active verbs reminiscent of Earnest Hemingway and Raymond Carver...it moves like a rocket...Readers of every generation will understand themselves better and share in the experience of real and memorable characters. Baird speaks to and for the Silent Generation." -- John Kane, THE DENVER POST, June 15, 2007

"...a gripping look at the dark side of the 'Greatest Generation,' as well as a cautionary message about the personal costs of chasing power and success." -- Jimmy Magahern, NEW YORK TIMES Law & Journal supplement, June 2007

"...a jolting mix of childhood trauma, physical and psychological wounds of war, the fragility of love, medical mistakes, legal ethics, and the high cost of ducking the truth...heartfelt in every line, unstuffed and unforgettable." -- Steve Wilson, THE ARIZONA REPUBLIC, June 2007

"...a powerful book that follows the McQuade family through the years. The writing is tight and serves this story well--it allowed us to 'hear' each (character's) story. ...these stories built upon one another and taught the family in a way no school book ever could." -- Carlene Carleo-Evangelist, FRONT STREET REVIEWS, June, 2007

From the Publisher

BEYOND PELELIU is destined for American literature classic status. Discover why Peter Baird is being described as a 21st Century Earnest Hemingway and Raymond Carver.

"...a griping look at the dark side of the 'Greatest Generation,' as well as a cautionary message about the personal costs of chasing power and success." --Jimmy Magahern, NEW YORK TIMES, Law & Journal supplement.

"Beyond Peleliu is a hauntingly powerful novel of compelling honesty and skill, a reminder that wars do not end when the last shot is fired. A novel that MUST be read." --Thomas Childers, Ph.D. UNIVERSITY OF PENN. Acclaimed Expert on World Wars.

"An astonishing debut...a source for forgiveness and healing...a must read!" --S. Helel Prejean, Author, "Dead Man Walking"

"...a picture of a complex family, utterly compelling, memorable, a 'can't put it down book'." --Janet Napolitano, GOVERNOR OF ARIZONA

Literature buffs from California to New York; Alaska to Florida and beyond are raving about Peter Baird's contemporary look at the real cost of war upon not only those who have fought, but on their loved ones and their subsequent generations. "Beyond Peleliu" is destined to become an American Classic in its own time.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 268 pages
• Publisher: Ravenhawk Books (May 30, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1893660141
• ISBN-13: 978-1893660144
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,252,080 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fascinating page-turner, June 19, 2006

By 

Rita G. Silverman - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Beyond Peleliu (Hardcover)

"Beyond Peleliu" is a wonderful novel, rich in detail, with characters you really feel you know. It is not a typical "lawyer book." The story, which covers three generations, skillfully melds war, medicine, magic, and complex relationships with a dramatic courtroom story. Peter Baird is a great storyteller who kept me turning the pages as fast as I could. When I finished the book, I couldn't stop thinking about it.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing Story, June 21, 2006

By 

J. Weiss - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Beyond Peleliu (Hardcover)

Beyond Peleliu's characters are rich, they are vibrant, they are rounded and they are terribly flawed. In other words, they are real. The story centers on a father and a son who both measure themselves by their professional success and who both "succeed" in neglecting and hurting those who they love, and who they need, the most. We watch these characters' lives come full circle as the helpless little boy and the all-powerful father reverse roles in a climax that is both stunning and heart-wrenching. As I read the book, I was exhilerated by the characters' successes, crushed by their tragedies, angered by their self-inflicted mistakes and always hopeful for their resurections. But, above all else, I cared about them and I needed--really needed--to know what was going to happen to them. The story, and the characters, were ever-present in my thoughts long after I read the last page. This is a great book.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars High Praise for Beyond Peleliu, June 13, 2006

By 

E. Goldhammer - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Beyond Peleliu (Hardcover)

If you are looking for an intelligently written novel that is both riveting and insightful, you should read Beyond Peleliu. The author, Peter Baird, explores many facets of human behavior and misbehavior primarily through the lives of a physician and his son, who does not follow in his father's footsteps but becomes a wealthy trial lawyer. The book is great on two levels. First, it is a great story. For me, that's the most important requirement for a good novel. Second, it raises some profound issues about human behavior. For example, why do people with so much talent and potential do things that are so self destructive? Beyond Peleliu is a provocative, well-written book that features characters that all of us can relate to. I highly recommend it.