The Road Home by Ellen Emerson White

The Road Home
Ellen Emerson White
ISBN 0-590-46738-7
469 pages
Scholastic, 1995

Genre: Historical Fiction

Readers Annotation
Rebecca Phillips, 21, serves as a nurse in the Vietnam War and is scarred by the suffering she sees there. When she returns home, she finds herself haunted by memories, unable to resume a normal life.

Plot Summary
Whip-smart Rebecca Phillips comes from a well-to-do family in Massachusetts. Though she's always longed to be a doctor, her physician father discouraged her from entering the profession, thinking it to be unsuitable for a woman. After her childhood best friend dies in the Vietnam War, and her brother goes to Canada to dodge the draft, she impulsively decides to join the Army as a nurse. While there, she turns out to be excellent at her job, having impeccable medical judgment. She also sees horrors she never dreamed of. A friendship with her boss, a feisty, sarcastic kindred spirit named Maggie Doyle, and a budding romance with Michael, whose platoon saved her after she was stranded in the jungle on a rescue mission, help keep her sane, along with a healthy amount of beer and bad attitudes. But when Michael is sent home after being wounded and losing his leg, she spirals into depression.

Coming home after her tour of duty, the enormity of what she went through suddenly hits her. She suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, unable to sleep or resume her normal life, and still continues to drink too much. Though her parents love her, they are unsure how to help her. Eventually Rebecca decides that the only way she will find peace is to reconnect with Maggie and Michael in the States.

Critical Evaluation
The Road Home is a haunting, affecting exploration of the Vietnam War. White has clearly researched what life was like for the doctors and nurses serving in Vietnam, and young readers who are relatively unfamiliar with the conflict will come away with a new understanding of what the war was and why it was so horrific.

Rebecca's emotional journey is moving and believable. The reader grows to love her funny, sarcastic sense of humor in the book's beginning, though it's clearly at least in part a defense mechanism to the daily atrocities she sees, and when that vibrant voice disappears as Rebecca grows more and more depressed, the reader worries as much about her as do her loved ones surround her.

The relationship between Rebecca and Michael, and Maggie and Rebecca's friendship, are beautifully characterized. The only way these characters can begin to find peace is to share their feelings with others who experienced the same hell.

Other Books in the Series
While the book The Road Home stands alone as an independent work, it can also be seen as a companion to the Echo Company series, which White penned under the name Zack Emerson. The series tells the story of Michael and his platoon, and also explains the story of how Rebecca came to be stranded in the jungle.

About the author
Ellen Emerson White, best known for her books about Meghan Powers, is known for her smart, sarcastic heroines. She also explores the issues of PTSD, as experienced by Rebecca, in two of the Meghan books (Long Live the Queen and Long May She Reign). White first began writing YA as a young adult herself; her first novel was published while she was still a student at Tufts University.

Curriculum Ties
The book would be a great tie-in to a unit on the Vietnam War, especially as it tells the story of the female nurses stationed in Vietnam, a side of the war not often explored in high school history books.

Booktalking Ideas
1. Explore the romance between Rebecca and Michael.
2. Talk about Rebecca and her father, and how their expectations for her life differ.
3. Explore the deep friendships Rebecca develops "in the trenches."

Reading/Interest Level
Because of the scenes of graphic violence and some strong language, this book is probably appropriate for high school readers and above.

Challenge Issues
The book might be challenged due to its graphic scenes of violence. Also, Rebecca, though over 21, does abuse alcohol. Should the book be challenged, the librarian should be aware of the library's selection policy and be prepared to explain and defend it to the challenger. The librarian could argue that the book's scenes of violence are historically accurate and point to its value as a teaching tool about the horrors of war. The librarian could also point to the book's positive reviews, including a starred review in Publishers Weekly, and its status as an ALA Best Book for Young Adults.

Selection Criteria
The Road Home was named an ALA Best Book for Young Adults.