Sunrise Over Fallujah

I started reading my book for my groups topic of modern war in Iraq, the title i am choosing is Sunrise Over Fallujah by Walter Myers. I only got through the first chapter but i know this book will be of great value to our class. How do i know this? it was an assigned summer read for my sixteen year old cousins junior year of high school. I was up north at my cottage last weekend with most of my extended family, and my cousin who is overly anxious to head off for college asked me about my classes. When i began telling her about our class and how we will be focusing on middle eastern literature she stopped me mid sentance and said "oh my God, Johnny! I hope you have to read Sunrise Over Fallujah for that class". She gave me a brief summary of the book and when i got home sunday night and looked on Dr. Allens website and found this title under suggested reads I knew that I had to take it.

So far in the first chapter what I have learned so far is that it is an American perspective of Operation Iraqui Freedom. In the first chapter I was introduced to three characters; Birdy, Marla, and Harlem and got three very different outlooks on the was. Birdy, the main character, is struggling to find the actual reason for why he enlisted. From his uncertainty I believe that the rest of this story will weigh out the pros and cons of fighting this war, and will hopefully clarify exactly why we are fighting this was in the first place.

Since I atended a catholic middle school when 9/11 happened, I was unable to view this historical event most of you likely saw in class. When I got home my parents sheltered me and wouldnt let me watch any televison that night. So pretty much for the last eight years I have been clueless about what is going on over seas. I am optomistic that this book will open my eyes to what I should have been aware of in the first place