Part of 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die list, it has been featured in every edition of the list so far.

The narrator, Tim O’Brien, recounts his time in Vietnam with the Alpha Company. As he introduces each soldier he names the things they carried with them. Some physical objects and others emotions.

Much of the book is told from Tim being 43 years old now and recalling events during the Vietnam war. He tries to understand what the other men in the Alpha Company were going through. Tim also tackles his own feelings of guilt throughout the novel, trying to find peace with the deaths that he caused.

This novel was banned in George County, Mississippi for its depictions violence, vulgar language, and sexual content. Educators and parents fought to keep it but have not been successful in its reinstatement.

Recommend for anyone wanting to learn what soldiers go through during war and what their healing process is like once they return home.