Anna's Boys

In Bill Pezza's marvelous book, "Anna's Boys," the momentous changes in America from the arrival of John Kennedy to the aftermath of the Gulf War are brought home to us through the stories, relationships and challenges of six young men in a turbulent time. The losses of JFK, Bobby Kennedy, and Martin Luther King; the reactions to and against the war in Viet Nam and the Gulf; the tragedies and hard-won victories of the young men who fought; the soul searching of those who struggled with anti-war beliefs;, and the difficulties of Veterans trying to rebuild a life after war are brought home to us in Pezza's masterful tale. If you were coming of age in the 60s, as I was, you will recognize yourself, your parents, your friends and those you opposed. You will find yourself back in the days of war demonstrations, the agonies of the draft, the hard decisions, the devastation in the jungles, and the desolation of those waiting at home. You will stand today with a greater understanding of what and who we all were, of how we came to be here, and what we must do as we remember. This is history at it's finest. This is history told to us in stories that resonate and help us remember with compassion the long journey to today. Eileen Meindl O'Hagan

Anna's Boys by Bill Pezza is an insightful look into a close- knit community, highlighting the ironclad friendships, the comfortable sense of belonging, and the strong community spirit that can only be found in small- town America. This honest, often humorous, and always poignant tale revolves around a group of friends known as Anna's Boys. The story reflects the personal joys, disappointments, and heartbreak of these friends as they leave the peaceful world of high school to face the tumultuous and often painful 1960's. These boys become men and follow their destinies, still finding fulfillment and comfort in their relationships with each other. Anna's Boys realistically and adeptly recaptures the major historical events that so impacted this small town and especially the lives of these men and their families. The characters are genuine and appealing and are honestly portrayed; the use of local color renders this book a comfortable, enjoyable read not just for Baby Boomers, but also for all readers who enjoy a great story.

A friend gifted me with this book and I wasn't sure what to expect since I knew this was the author's first novel. Wow! What a debut! The book is classified as "historic fiction" which is a genre I normally wouldn't care much about - but Anna's Boys turned out to be a page-turning great read, filled with characters who had me emotionally invested in their lives from the outset. Bill Pezza is a writer who understands the notion that the political is always personal, and therein lies the power of this novel. Pezza, who is also apparently a high school history teacher, doesn't drag us into a political treatise on why the United States entered the Vietnam conflict, or try to analyze its dark course; instead, he uses this controversial war and simply (albeit dramatically) examines the very personal ways it impacted the lives of seven young friends and the people who loved them. The way Pezza crafted this compelling tale brings to mind the 60s slogan "Think globally, act locally." The global spectrum of the war is the catalyst for what happens to the boys, but their individual stories, and how they played out in a working-class community, are what drive the book. Thankfully, the author avoids the trap of being preachy or persuading readers to take a pro or anti-war stance. We see and experience the war through the eyes of the young men who are all significantly affected, but end up taking very unique journeys during those tumultuous years. Friendship is their enduring bond, and Pezza does a beautiful job revealing the connections too powerful for even a divisive war to destroy.

I grew up during the era that this book is set in, and I can tell you that it brought back incredible memories and very real and deep-felt emotions. For anyone who lived during this time and experienced the untimely deaths of President John F. Kennedy, Dr. Martin Luther King, Bobby Kennedy, and the Vietnam War, this book will touch you deeply. For those who did not, this is a must read, for it realistically portrays through Anna, her children and their closest friends, what played out in thousands and thousands of families and communities during the sixties and early seventies. Although the Vietnam War is a central theme, I believe Anna's Boys contains much much more. For more than anything else, it is a story of unconditional love and unconditional friendships, of families, of relationships, of commitments, of patriotism, of strength of character, and of passion. It is a story you cannot read without being touched at your very soul, because it is a story that is told with the heart. This is a book that I have already purchased for both my children because contained within the setting of a tumultuous time in our history, Bill Pezza has written a superb book that provides lessons in life; lessons about love, lessons about compassion, lessons about relationships, lessons about dedication, and lessons about the responsibility that each of us has for our fellow human beings. As someone who came of age in the 60's, I can tell you that Anna's Boys provides all the drama of that period as well as a wonderful story of how people depended upon the very fiber of their community and the strength of those around them to deal with life's challenges. It is a book that will fill your heart with emotion, that will make your spirit soar, and that will renew your faith in people. Anna's Boys is a must read - for the setting in Bristol,PA, for the historical perspective on the 60's, and for its realistic portrayal of the Vietnam War. However, most of all, it is a must read for the dynamic interplay among the characters and the way their lives touch and reflect each and every one of us. Bravo Bill Pezza!!!!!

I guess Anna's Boys is fiction. That's what it's classified under--Historical Fiction. So the characters in this story aren't real, right? Could've fooled me. Very rarely do I connect with characters such as I have in Anna's Boys. Although we grew up (although I'm still 'growing up') in different eras, I can see all of the characters of the story in my friends--and myself. Maybe I should give a quick summary. Anna Francelli lives in a small town in Pennsylvania. She is a widow with two kids, Johnny and Christine, although she acts as a beacon of strength and hope to her kids as well as their friends. The book revolves around Johnny and his friends as they are caught in the Vietnam War, with some being drafted and splitting apart the group. The war ultimately leaves all of them changed men, never being able to return to the great times they once had in High School. After Vietnam, the book then jumps ahead to the kids in their 50's as the watch another war develop around them. There are so many emotions going on at different times. Some incredibly sad, some humorous, and some...just making you feel good. The characters are so varied that it's hard to not relate to one of them.