Prisoners of War

The wreckage of armed conflict litters the landscape of fictional Loring, Mississippi, in Steve Yarbrough's courageous and cautionary, "Prisoners of War." The novel's title is an apt one, and German POW's are not the only people held captive by the ravages of war. Dan Timms, not quite eighteen and chomping at the bit for his own involvement in World War II, possesses an innocence which shields him not only from the pernicious impact the previous world war had on the town but also inhibits his understanding of the subtle, but pervasive corruption, rampant in his community. Timms' struggle for emotional independence stands in bleak contrast to the ubiquitous pessimism and despair elsewhere. Yarbrough presents several provocative theses about human behavior in "Prisoners," the most interesting of which posits that people have long outlived the moment of their deaths. Many of Yarbrough's characters are examples of the "living dead," wounded souls going through the motions of life until a climactic moment extinguishes them forever. The belligerent racist, Frank Holder, exemplifies this quality. Angry, bewildered and resentful over his enlisted son's untimely death, Holder's need for vengeance against a nameless, unconquerable force, extinguishes whatever limited capabilities he had to function as a decent man. Dan's father and uncle fall victim to the same disability, but present different symptoms. World War I devoured Jimmy Del Timms, Dan's father. Cynical, uncommunicative and numbed, Dan's father stumbles through post-traumatic stress and suffers a disintegrating family. Jimmy Del's brother, Alvin, has betrayed conscience and community with his actions; aware of his own decadence, Alvin shrugs his shoulders at his own stench and revels in his role as a war profiteer. Yarbrough presents the debasement of personality in times of extreme stress as a corollary to his central thesis. Even the German POW's, whose presence as seemingly tractable field laborers mollifies the struggling cotton farmers of the area, display a corrosion of the spirit. They secretively and ineptly plan an escape and turn on one of their own when the plot is foiled. Dan's mother, Shirley, is a ruin as a consequence of her failed marriage and her own moral short-circuiting. His longstanding friend, Marty Stark, has returned from the front torn asunder by moral doubt and loss of ethical standards. Despite the abundance of evil and indifference in "Prisoners of War," our capacities to endure and be good appear. L. C., Dan's African-American friend, suffers through a horrific beating, forgiving the perpetrator, understanding his "blues." But these illuminating moments of goodness are few and far between. Steve Yarbrough intent is to tear away the veneer of civilization that covers us and to show the true grain of our personality. His novel is a towering success, elegantly crafted, precisely detailed and psychologically valid.

Changes made through the eyes of both white and black doing the war in a small Mississippi town. German prisoners are brought to a small Mississippi town and the events that take place also open some of the eyes in town about black and white. Dan Timms a white man with the same job as L.C. Stevens a black man driving a converted bus that sells a little of this and that, a small store on the move. Dan Yearns also comes into the picture when he joins the army to run away from the memories of his fathers suicide. The book has many small town people and how their lives seem to be changing with the war and in their own home town. A very well written book on the feelings of the south and how events can change thinking along with actions. Larry Hobson -Author- The Day Of The Rose

The year is 1943. Dan, a young man living in Mississipi, is eager to leave home and join the Army. His dad is dead, and the bank took over his family's farm. Dan, along with his "colored" colleague L.C., work for Dan's uncle Alvin by driving two old school buses that were converted into rolling snack stands. Marty, a friend of Dan's from the same town is stationed there as a guard for a camp of German POW's.This is not an easy book to read. Besides having to keep the characters straight, it involves getting into the psyches of guys struggling with questions of racial inequality, considering the necessity or opposition to being in the armed service, and being so close to German prisoners of war. The story of these three young men comes alive with friendship as well as conflict as they struggle individually. Nothing comes easy for any of these three men. Their story brings the reader with a heavy hand into the heart and mentality of a small Southern town in some very difficult times.

Yarbrough's new novel has exquisite prose, wonderful dialogue, and extremely convincing characters. Prisoners of War is without a doubt Steve Yarbrough's best novel yet.

Prisoners of War is the most enjoyable and engaging novel I've read in a long time. Yarbrough's clear style propels the narrative forward in quick time. One reviewer here observed that sub plots slow down the pace. Nonsense! The novel is built upon sub plots and small incidents, each one filled with appealing surprises. Some will break your heart, others will make you gasp, and a few will make you laugh out loud. Simply put, this is a wonderful book.