Patches of Fire: A Story of War and Redemption

by Albert French

Personal, lyrical, and extraordinary, Patches of Fire is a memorable exploration of the black soldier's experience in Vietnam, the plight of the Vietnam veteran, and the redemptive power of writing.

With the same passion for truth and stunning honesty that marks his highly acclaimed fiction, Albert French's remarkable memoir tells the story of a young man's encounter with a war and with deaths beyond his understanding; of his return to a country torn by racial unrest in the wake of the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., and of his painstaking efforts to defeat his inner demons and make a place for himself as a black man in white America.

With a starkness tempered by humor, French brings to life the horrors of Vietnam, and recounts in compelling detail his uneasy tenure as a newspaper photographer, his heady days as publisher of his own magazine, his confrontations with the ghostly images of Vietnam that haunted his dreams--and the sense of renewal and purpose he achieved as a novelist.


From the Trade Paperback edition.

Genres: War, Nonfiction, Military Fiction, History

256 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

Albert French is an American author and publisher whose works, mainly focusing on the rural life of African Americans, are known for their intensity and distinctive style and have been translated into several languages.

French was born in Pittsburgh in 1943 and joined the Marine Corps when he was 20. His experiences there are described in his book 'Patches of Fire.' After returning home, French worked as a photographer for the Pittsburgh Post Gazette before publishing the Pittsburgh Preview for twelve years. He continues to reside in Pittsburgh.

Reviews

[Leslie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm so thankful for the gift of this memoir, the first work (though not the first published work) by novelist Albert French. In it he describes his tour of duty in Vietnam and its effect on his later life. The experiences it details are traumatic and often demoralizing, but his humanity, appreciation of beauty, and care for his fellow humans are never eclipsed, and he survives, endures, and somehow manages to come to grips with it all. It seems corny to say it, but it really does speak to the strength of the human spirit - French's human spirit, in particular. I'm very much in awe.

French's style is unique. It's almost hard to think of this memoir as a book. When I read it, I felt as if he was speaking directly to me, reliving his darkest memories, expressing his deepest emotions, giving me - a total stranger - access to his friendships, his fears, his hopes, grief, anger - all of it. There's no artifice here, nothing phony, just a man's story, told in a way that makes you feel that you know him.

Again, I'm so grateful to whatever it was that finally compelled Mr. French to put pen to paper, and grateful that someone had the good sense to publish the result. It will remain with me for a long time.

[Samantha Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a very detailed book. I loved that it went in depth about the war and how the soldiers feel about the war. I also loved how it describes what life was like for an African American when he returned from the war. It was sad and very touching in parts.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've spent all day with this book, immersed in French's fast-paced outpouring of words, and I'm not sure how I can stand to criticize it. Especially after he spends all of the second part of the book explaining how he came to write and how the book came to be. It has such sadness in its lines, some that seem rather flawed, but that may just be what makes it so unique. In between the distinct voice and the stumbling, yet purposeful, language, there are pockets of sheer genius:

"It was a long time ago, but not for you and me. Not for Felter and Glickman and the others. It was not long at all. Nothing passed, nothing passed that has the meaning. The feeling won't go away. Ain't it funny, time can't do a fuckin' thing with it. I should have died with you, been there too. I shouldn't have let them leave you out there all night, dead and in the dark. We went too far, man. Into that shit you can't come back from. That shit that takes all of you out of you. Sometimes I tell people about you, but they don't understand, can't understand. I don't even know if I understand. Everything is too close to separate. If you take it apart, look at it in pieces, it's not the same."

In these lines there is a stunning truth to not only French's story but the failing, gasping grasp on memory that experiencing traumatic events and attempting to write them induces. It feels impossible to capture the truth and reality of a moment. But isn't that always the case with writing?

[Kathryn Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think every high schooler should read this book which gives a horrifyingly accurate picture of a young soldier serving his country in Vietnam. Albert French grew up in a poor neighborhood in Pittsburgh and joined the military in the 1960s, only to be sent to Vietnam. After being severely wounded, he returns to America and tries to make his way in the world, haunted by the memories of his experiences: the death of friends, killing Vietnamese boys, his near death experience. Even 20 years later, he plunges into depression, still reliving the nightmare. Writing this book saved his life, and helped him process his experiences. There are so many war veterans who suffer from their experiences, man's inhumanity to man.

[Barbara · Rating 2 out of 5]

Requirement for an English class.

[Anwar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely read, great insight into Mr. French's time during the war and how became such a wonderful author