Curse of Interesting Times depicts the tumultuous 60s from the perspective of a Vietnam-era draftee’s wife. On an adventurous journey adjusting to army life in Germany, she and her husband struggle financially to stay together while fearing his transfer to Vietnam. They face constant reminders of World War II and the Cold War as they try to make sense of contemporary events regarding Vietnam. Their conflicting identities as students and military complicate the issues. What is right? What is wrong?
What a journey Patricia Ann Paul has taken us on in this cleverly-written narrative of her experiences with her American soldier husband in Germany during the Viet Nam War—a refreshingly different perspective of that newly-revisited conflict.
Curse of Interesting Times expertly weaves together a newly-wed couples' love, the culture-shock of military life in Germany, and the events and pop culture of the Vietnam Conflict. The intimate details of the book gave me insight into the impact that this war had on university students, military husbands and their wives, and the citizens in countries that hosted military bases. It's a studied look at an important era in American history.
