The Short-timer

A Story of Love and War

Fiction - Action
188 Pages
Reviewed on 09/27/2022
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    Book Review

Reviewed by Maria Victoria Beltran for Readers' Favorite

The Short-timer: A Story of Love and War by Dennis D. Skirvin is a thought-provoking novel focusing on war’s physical and psychological trauma. Brian Scott, awarded the Bronze Star for bravery during the Vietnam war, tries to build a new life back in the US. He opens a welding business and is in a loving relationship with Kathy, a single mom who works as a physical therapist in the VA Center. At the onset of the Gulf War in Iraq, Brian acts strange, mostly staying home and spending hours watching the news about the war. Kathy is worried after she finds a bullet in Brian’s apartment. She learns that upon his return from Vietnam, he suffered from a horrifying nightmare shouting the words, "Death Ray" and "Short-timer." As he deals with the physical and behavioral changes caused by PTSD, can Kathy save Brian from himself?

Dennis D. Skirvin’s The Short-timer is an eye-opener that helps readers understand the traumatic effects of war on our fighting men and women. Skirvin writes with the authenticity of one who has experienced the horrors of the Vietnam war. The characters are well-developed, and the descriptive style is vivid and factual. According to studies, 30% of Vietnam veterans have had Post-traumatic Stress Disorder in their lifetime so this book is very relevant. It also brings us inside the lives of these soldiers when they returned home after the war, their treatment, and the hostility they faced from those who did not support the war. The Short-timer should make us appreciate more the sacrifices and struggles of our men and women in the armed forces.