Laced with strong antiwar sentiments, this Peyton Place -like drama set during the Persian Gulf crisis draws parallels between small-town politics and international warfare. Center stage are two waiters who work at the fashionable Pennsylvania restaurant known as Linger: Bobby, who quits his job to join the Army but never expects to be sent overseas; and his younger brother, Gary, who is left at home to muse on Bobby's sudden, angry departure. Other players in the troupe include the boys' parents, also employed at Linger; the rich, influential proprietor, Dunlinger, who methodically destroys anyone who threatens his rise to fame and fortune; Dunlinger's spoiled daughter, Lynn; and English teacher Jules Raleigh, whose passion for Lynn and outspoken stance against American involvement in the Middle East lead to his downfall. Kerr's ( Dinky Hocker Shoots Smack! ; the Fell series) deft unraveling of interrelated events is startling and enlightening: readers will be absorbed in the intricate web of corruption and cover-ups as truths about hypocrisy, greed and manipulation come to light. Complex and challenging, this book is an intriguing examination of the power of propaganda. Ages 12-up.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
Grade 7 Up-- Linger is an upscale restaurant owned and run by the nearly signorial Ned Dunlinger. The entire Peel family is in his employ and, as a result, spend much of their time scrutinizing and dissecting his actions. He pampers his wife, intensely grooms his daughter for a move into the upper class, and smoothly plots to make his establishment the genteel focal point of the community. After a bitter quarrel with Dunlinger, Bobby Peel joins the army and finds himself in the middle of the Gulf War. Younger brother Gary, 16, has to wonder at Bobby's moxie in starting a correspondence with the beautiful Lynn Dunlinger, who wouldn't notice him under normal circumstances. Gary discovers that Lynn is secretly involved with Jules Raleigh, a teacher, part-time piano player at Linger, and flagrant war protester. He unwilling finds himself drawn into the drama of a father who spies, a daughter who deceives, a teacher who fails to measure up, and a brother who returns to a mini-emotional and social Armageddon. The Gulf War is painted as horrific, using vivid juxtapositions; the subtle, but also deadly, civilian war centers on racial prejudice. Bobby's journal entries and letters are woven so smoothly with Gary's observations that readers will really enjoy the dramatic tension that is produced. This novel has one heck of a good plot, terrific pacing, and searingly realistic characters. It's Kerr as readers expect her to be--tough, ironic, and, yet highly entertaining. She makes it clear that in a world of hypocrisy, prejudice, and brutality, personal integrity can be a proper armor, even if it slips a bit. --Cindy Darling Codell, Clark Middle School, Winchester, KY
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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