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Walter's Purple Heart

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With "Pay It Forward" (2000 ) Catherine Ryan Hyde displayed her talent for insightfully portraying human emotions. She underscores that gift with "Walter's Purple Heart" in which she not only tugs at heartstrings but deftly plays them while building to a poignant crescendo.

Related in alternate narrative voices, this is the story of a love unfulfilled and a life unfinished. We meet Michael Steeb, a young California pot farmer, an unambitious fellow who plays the sax and lives in an almost built farmhouse.

When unexplainable events occur, Michael turns to a Ouija board for answers. Instead of answers he meets Walter, the spirit of a young soldier killed some 40 years earlier. But in this case death isn't the end, as Walter explains, "Did you think I was gone? No chance of that. If death was the end of me, this story would be over."

It takes time and persistence for Walter to convince Michael that they are one and the same, that Michael is the reincarnation of Walter. Michael is conflicted enough without two personalities jousting within him, and Walter is unable to move on until some tough questions from his short life are answered.

Therefore, Michael reluctantly sets out for New Mexico to find Andrew, Walter's best high school friend and army buddy and Mary Ann, the fiancee who promised to wait. Now, Walter has promised Michael that he will know what to say when he finds Andrew. Not so. Not only is Michael dumbstruck but he finds that Mary Ann and Andrew have been married for 38 years.

"I can't believe you did it, Andrew," Michael snaps, "You married my girl."

Andrew thinks Michael is either crazy or a conman. Perhaps both. Mary Ann recognizes Walter in Michael almost immediately and the love affair that was ended by a sniper's bullet many years before begins again despite the vast difference in their ages.

Obstinate and obdurate Andrew cannot bring himself to believe that any part of Walter exists in Michael until, finally, during one harrowing night he becomes convinced.

As it turns out, that is only one of Michael's tasks. He also comforts Walter's mother who is near death in a nursing home and makes peace with Robbie, Walter's younger brother, who always followed Walter to school a good 20 paces behind.

Throughout the narrative Walter reveals insights into the lives of his friends and family, noting, "It's not even in what we say about ourselves, so much. It's in what we leave out." From an implacable, remote father, Walter has learned that "The most important moments of our lives are supposed to go without saying."

With this, her fourth novel, Ms. Hyde reminds us of the significance of forgiveness and the waste of war. At times, Walters memories may be reminiscent of the classic film "It's A Wonderful Life" in which scenes from a life are replayed to emphasize the significance of everyday events. And, some may question the physical attraction between a 21-year-old Michael and a 60-plus Mary Ann. Yet the story soars above these reservations.

It takes a perceptive and gentle hearted writer to create a Walter who says, "......there's nothing so remarkable about me. Except that I'm Walter. And I'm Walter in a way that nobody else ever has been before or ever will be again. And I honestly believe that Walter-ness counts for something."

Indeed, it does...

Catherine Ryan Hyde has brought you to the feeling that each author tries to achieve. Her characters have been so fully developed that you can relate in some way to all of them.

The feeling of love that Walter makes you proud to feel, is a real winner. Let yourself become one of the people and then you will become another and finally you will fill all the shoes.

This book will make you feel so wonderful, and will add to your faith in yourself.

This should be at the top of the best seller list.

In Catherine Ryan Hyde's last two novels (Pay It Forward, Electric God), she demonstrated her prowess in understanding human emotions and her brilliant use of the english language. In her newest novel, "Walter's Purple Heart", she cements her domination as an incredible storyteller and translator of the language of undying love.

"Walter's Purple Heart", a symbol for the love one man holds as a bright, shining beacon of hope, even after his own death, presents the reader with an interesting premise. Not unlike "Ghost", and reminiscent of "The Bridges of Madison County" in tone and flavor (only much, much better written), "Walter's Purple Heart" resonates with poetry and brilliance.

Walter is killed in Guadalcanal in 1942, but his soul is restless. It seems that he cannot "cross over" and leave his love unspoken for Mary Ann...nor his death a mystery for his best friend Andrew. He enlists the (at first) unwilling aid of Michael, a somewhat paranoid marijuana farmer in California (what other kinds are there?). By giving Michael bizarre dreams of his horrific and untimely death, Walter draws Michael into his reasons for returning, and urges him (or perhaps threatens him is more apt) to find his childhood sweetheart and his former best friend.

"How will I know what to do once I find them?" Michael asks.
"You'll know," Walter assures him.

Nothing is ever quite that simple. While Mary Ann recognizes Walter in Michael's eyes, and their decades-old relationship sparks anew (despite the glaring difference in age), Andrew is reluctant and bitter, refusing to believe that Walter has returned in the unlikely form of Michael.

With unerring brilliance, Hyde again displays her ability to make a phrase sing with wonder and beauty, drawing the reader in flawlessly and effortlessly. By presenting Walter's appearance in the story in a no-nonsense fashion, Hyde thereby avoids the "suspension of belief" issue of dealing with her narrator being a ghost, the sign of a great writer.

"Walter's Purple Heart" proves that Hyde is an author to be reckoned with, her storytelling capabilities destined to become legend, if they're not already!

Walter dies suddenly serving in Japan in WWII. Since he is only 21, Walter dies with a lot of unfinished business and as he puts it, "gets stuck." Walter needs to get un-stuck and he can only do that by helping his best friend, his fiancee and the 21-year-old Michael Steeb Walter has reincarnated into.

Sound different? It is. But Hyde's prose makes this an acessible and sturdy work. She gives a very realistic portrayal of how boys and men must feel during war--dying or being wounded suddenly, with no opportunity for goodbyes and no opportunity to go forward in life.

My favorite parts include when Walter's spirit goes to visit his mother and his best friend and when Walter discusses his siblings, all the love and ambiguity that is present in any family with more than one child.

I highly recommend this book as well Electric God and Pay It Forward by Ms. Hyde.

I came across Pay It Forward, one of Hyde's earlier novels that was made into a movie, by accident one day and thought I'd give it a shot. I liked it. It had some flaws, but it showed a certain psychological slant that I appreciated in a writer. It seemed to me that Catherine Ryan Hyde was able to place characters in real, honest, tough life dilemmas and bring them out of it with some diginity and, more importantly, a strong sense of optimism and strength despite what they've been through. I wanted to read more.

Within weeks I had read her earlier works, Funerals for Horses and Earthquake Weather. Quite honestly, Earthquake Weather is one of the best collections of short stories I've ever read. And Funerals is very convincing in its depiction of family abuse and is, IMO, eloquent in its symbolism, mythology and spirituality. They both confirmed my first impression: Hyde's writing is both optimistic and realistic and can be, at times, almost soothing to the soul. I was beginning to think that Catherine Ryan Hyde could do no wrong.

Well, I was wrong. Electric God, Ryan's last book before Walter's Purple Heart, while having many of the earlier positive elements, had several fatal flaws, not the least of which was a central male character who was hard to love -- a man who could have come right out of a bad romance novel. You know the type: Bad boy who needs to mend his ways and secretly has a heart of gold, if only a woman would help him.

Now we have Walter's Purple Heart. As a fan of Hyde's first three books (Horses and Earthquake hit a very deep nerve with me), I'm disheartened to see her work get worse and worse.

The central character is a mix between "Michael," a young dope smoker with very few goals in life, and "Walter," a soldier killed in WWII who left a loving fiance behind and now inhabits the body of Michael. The basic idea of the story was to resolve both Michael's and Walter's problems. While Michael redeems himself by the end of the novel, his character is just not appealing. I can see that Hyde was trying to create some sort of character transformation within her tale, but I simply couldn't feel for a California slacker who's stoned half the time.

As an Army veteran (although I never saw combat, I was trained in weapons capabilities), I didn't find Walter's military experiences believable. There's one reference to Walter getting hit by a friendly fire mortar round. The way Hyde describes it you'd think that mortar rounds were just like bullets. They're not -- they're designed to kill a maim as many people as possible within a certain radius. It seemed that Hyde knew she was on shaky territory in trying to describe the military scenes because she offers so little description and dialogue in these parts of the book.

On the positive side, although some might disagree, I found the sexual tension between Michael and Walter's old sweetheart, Mary Ann, convincing and even at times erotic. That's quite an accomplishment considering the fact that Michael is in his 20s and Mary Ann about 60. Let's face it, if the sexes were reversed most people wouldn't think twice. So I congratulate Hyde in pulling this off.

Overall, Walter's Purple Heart is a great concept that needed more work and a least one character change (Michael). I needed more realistic dialogue and characterization. Or in other words, I needed Hyde to approach her subject like she did in Funderals For Horses. If she'd done this I'd wager that this book could have easily been another 100 pages in length -- and gone from a fluffy piece on reincarnation to a profound perspective on love and redemption.

I wouldn't discourage fans of Catherine Ryan Hyde from reading this book. However, if you've never read anything else by her this is a poor place to start. Check out Funerals and Earthquake and then decide from there if you want to read her more recent work.

"Pay It Forward" fans, it's time to cheer. Catherine Ryan Hyde's latest-"Walter's Purple Heart"-is another life-affirming, emotionally rewarding read that touches the heart and satisfies the soul.

In her just-the-good-parts, spare, literary style, she spins an un-put-downable tale that pays tribute to the "Greatest Generation"-the heroes and heroines of World War II-without glorifying the violence and pain they endured.

It's a book about the eternal power of love and friendship that should appeal to all generations, but for those of us of AARP age, this book makes a very special gift.

I really enjoyed this first person story about love. The novel is about memories and problems that survive death and the passage of time. Forty years after his death Walter comes back through Micheal to get some things straight. Rather than getting answers he put his life in perspective. As part of that process he finds out what his life meant to the ones he left behind.
Does love survive the grave? I for one believe that those who died are still with us in spirit. I am assured that those who are gone still care for us as we still care for them. This book makes a good case for the durability and permanance of love.
This book is easy to read, thought provoking and very entertaining.

Woody Allen said, "The heart wants what it wants." Catherine Ryan Hyde says it again - beautifully - in Walter's Purple Heart!

Walter may have only earned a Purple Heart but the author, Catherine Ryan Hyde, should be awarded the Distinguised Service Award for bravery. She has tackled several controversial themes head on and weaves a good story out of them. Younger man in love with older woman, reincarnation and ouija boards, all told in the voices most appropriate for that part of the suspenseful plot being revealed. You keep reading to the end and are amply rewarded.

I came across this novel by accident. The concept of reincarnation seemed interesting--it's a topic not many books discuss or cover. The book is divided in chapters according to who the chapter most features, but only Walter's chapters are written in first person. I enjoyed Walter's voice and history the most. I also enjoy discussions or ideas of the afterlife presented in fiction. For those who have lost loved ones, this book offers the comforting idea that life and death are connected; our friends are still a part of us and our lives. Perhaps this book will force others to think about life before death and appreciating the people in our lives and the little things we may take for granted.

This is a love story between a boy and a girl, but it is mostly about the love between friends. The format is nice, however the book can be cheesy and unrealistic at times (ex: what Walter says when he communicates via the ouija board, certain dialogue). It is an interesting and different piece of fiction, but those who prefer literature may prefer to look elsewhere.