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Grass Through Pavement: War, Sex & Enlightement
Grass Through War, Sex & Enlightenment is a bold, deeply personal work of literary fiction about the human cost of war and the long shadow it casts.
Lucien, a Navy intelligence petty officer haunted by Vietnam, moves through a post-war world that offers no clear answers. Through intimacy, travel, and the unreliable terrain of memory, he searches for meaning in the aftermath of violence. From bomb-scarred Hanoi to street bars in the Philippines, from longing-scented letters to a secret restaurant with no menu, Lucien’s journey is raw, confessional, and often darkly funny. From San Francisco art school studios to ashrams in India, his path is a tangle of trauma, desire, and unanswered questions.
At the intersection of literary fiction and psychological reckoning, Grass Through Pavement resists nostalgia and rejects heroism. This is not a story about war itself, but about what comes after — about memory, guilt, and the difficult work of living on.
With a narrative voice reminiscent of Eve Babitz, author Trivelas blends introspection with vivid storytelling. Readers of Tim O’Brien’s The Things They Carried will recognize the emotional terrain, if not the destination.
Lucien, a Navy intelligence petty officer haunted by Vietnam, moves through a post-war world that offers no clear answers. Through intimacy, travel, and the unreliable terrain of memory, he searches for meaning in the aftermath of violence. From bomb-scarred Hanoi to street bars in the Philippines, from longing-scented letters to a secret restaurant with no menu, Lucien’s journey is raw, confessional, and often darkly funny. From San Francisco art school studios to ashrams in India, his path is a tangle of trauma, desire, and unanswered questions.
At the intersection of literary fiction and psychological reckoning, Grass Through Pavement resists nostalgia and rejects heroism. This is not a story about war itself, but about what comes after — about memory, guilt, and the difficult work of living on.
With a narrative voice reminiscent of Eve Babitz, author Trivelas blends introspection with vivid storytelling. Readers of Tim O’Brien’s The Things They Carried will recognize the emotional terrain, if not the destination.
365 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 26, 2025
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5 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
August 24, 2025
This book was not for me. I only continued reading as our book club decided to read something “different” this month and report back.
I didn’t enjoy the constant bragging of sexual conquests. Is that all that life was about? Did he also abandon his pregnant teenage girlfriend and provide no financial support for the child he fathered?
I didn’t enjoy the constant bragging of sexual conquests. Is that all that life was about? Did he also abandon his pregnant teenage girlfriend and provide no financial support for the child he fathered?
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August 1, 20252 reviews on Amazon:
"I haven’t picked up a book in a few years. This one caught my eye. After reading the introduction, I had to read more. It’s easy to follow - the story is intriguing and leaves you with peace. If you enjoyed the writing style of The Catcher In The Rye, you would love this book. Couldn’t put it down - looking forward to the next book!"
"I could not put this beautifully written page-turner of a novel down. As heartfelt as it is funny, it tells the story of a Vietnam veteran in the form of vivid snapshots throughout his life. It is an incredibly moving and vivid work of fiction that left this reader feeling like the author was sharing hard-won truths. I can't wait to read his next work."
"I haven’t picked up a book in a few years. This one caught my eye. After reading the introduction, I had to read more. It’s easy to follow - the story is intriguing and leaves you with peace. If you enjoyed the writing style of The Catcher In The Rye, you would love this book. Couldn’t put it down - looking forward to the next book!"
"I could not put this beautifully written page-turner of a novel down. As heartfelt as it is funny, it tells the story of a Vietnam veteran in the form of vivid snapshots throughout his life. It is an incredibly moving and vivid work of fiction that left this reader feeling like the author was sharing hard-won truths. I can't wait to read his next work."
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews