A sweeping, emotional life story set against the turbulence of postwar America and the Vietnam War.
Born in 1949 to a Black Belgian nurse and a white Irish Catholic father, Donovan O'Brien enters a world already divided by race, trauma, and history. From the streets of Boston to the jungles of Vietnam, his life becomes a journey shaped by loss, love, brotherhood, and the enduring search for meaning.

When Donovan is drafted and sent to Vietnam, the war shatters everything he believes about courage, loyalty, and himself. A near-death experience on the battlefield forces him to confront his past and the truth he's been running from. In the midst of chaos, he discovers the love of his life, if he can keep her -- and the purpose that will carry him through the darkest moments of war and the challenges waiting back home.

Spanning decades -- from childhood to combat to family life -- The Life of Donovan O'Brien is a powerful coming-of-age saga about identity, resilience, and redemption. For fans of The Things They Carried, Matterhorn, and sweeping historical fiction that follows a man's entire life, this novel is a deeply human story about surviving war, finding love, and learning what truly matters.

A gripping, heart-stirring, unforgettable journey.

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• Literature & FictionGenre FictionBiographical
• Literature & FictionGenre FictionWar

• Publication Date: December 20, 2025
• Text-to-Speech: Disabled
• Lending: Disabled
• Print Length: 387 Pages
• File Size: 39 KB