Joe Thyer - The Things They Carried

The Things They Carried describes a bunch of American soldiers and their experiences in the Vietnam War in a number of short stories. Some stories talk about the things they literally carried with them throughout the war, whether to provide comfort or evoke memories of home. Other stories describe the emotional and psychological things they carried with them. Many soldiers felt guilt about what they did and some just felt the effects of being isolated from one's family and friends for months at a time. It was a pretty fast read because it was broken up into shorter stories, but it was pretty dramatic and kinda difficult to understand at times.