As this third entry in the Lavette Family Saga begins, Barbara and her new husband Bernie are navigating difficult married waters. His heart is in Israel, and she resents the competition. Where the story goes from here is, as always, an energetic journey. The largest part of the novel is given to Barbara's testimony before HUAC, and the repercussions of that testimony. As Howard Fast lived through this period, he clearly used his own painful experiences to give life to these sequences, and the prose crackles as a consequence. Tom Lavette and his first wife, Jean, are beautifully drawn and continue to grow. I'm so sorry that they are aging - I know it won't be long before I'll be saying goodbye to these characters, and I'm dreading it. My only disappointment, and the only reason the book has been reduced to four stars rather than five, is the disappointing subplot regarding Sally Lavette. It made the story drag. I really didn't care much about what was happening to this spoiled brat; I was anxious to get back to Barbara and the others. Likewise, Barbara's brother Tom does not have much to recommend him, but I realize that the stage has to be set for his further adventures in the remaining three books.
Still giving this addition to the series a 5 star rating although I'm not quite sure if the stars are for this individual book or the series as a whole. Historical fiction is so informative in such an entertaining way and showed me aspects of the McCarthy era and war mongering in Korea and Viet Nam that I never would have looked at besides the history books of my youth. You can clealy see the author's positions on many of these events by the way Barbara Lavette embraces them. Once again, can't wait for the next book in the continuing saga.
