Any Day Now

by Elizabeth Quinn

“Mixing romance, politics and rejuvenated ’60s idealism, Quinn (Alliances ) concocts a stirring novel. Kate Buchanan, a criminal lawyer, is jolted when Nick Ricci–her first love, and from the wrong side of the tracks–appears in her office in 1985. They haven’t seen each other since 1968, when he left for Vietnam without saying good-bye. He needs her help–he is convinced that his black war buddy Leon Jackson is alive, despite the burial of his remains by his family. Aided by another vet, Tom Wilcox, who is a minister to the homeless, and Kate’s friend Deborah Tate, they interview other vets, including ex-POWs, and comb through government files. Kate confronts her own discomfort with the vets: “Their knowledge of Vietnam didn’t come from two minutes of film on the evening news. They knew the taste, smell, and feel of it.” The mysteries surrounding Leon and Nick’s unwarranted guilt are too easily resolved here, but the lives of Nick, Kate, Tom and Deborah dovetail into a fresh exposition of the vagaries of racism, war and love.” — Publisher’s Weekly starred review Nov. 17, 1989

309 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published December 1, 1987

About the author

I write as Elizabeth Quinn, but my name is Beth Quinn Barnard. I've made my living writing news and novels, and teaching journalism, fiction, and composition since 1976. A graduate of Skidmore College and Boston University, I've lived in Grants Pass, Oregon, since 1983 with my husband, Jeff Barnard, a reporter with the Associated Press. Our children, Nate and Nellie, are grown,but we made sure they were Red Sox fans before we set them free. I like to read, travel, hike, cook, ski and raft. I sing alto in a local community chorus and am having a blast remodeling our home room-by-room.

Reviews

[Evelyn · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not very good

[Lora · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book in exchange for a review. This book was written well. I like all the characters in the book and how they were portrayed with the exception of Emily, the daughter of Deborah. I didn't like how the author had Emily calling her mother by her first name throughout the book. It didn't seem natural, regardless that there was some animosity toward her mother through most of the book. i don't know of any teenager that calls their mother by their first name. Some of the ideas of the story weren't fully developed and could have used a little more, but didn't take away from the story. The story kept my interest throughout but I would have liked the author to expand on how Leon, after he was left behind in Vietnam, how he recovered from his injuries and who was involved in that and a little more on his story meeting his wife etc. That would have been a interesting part of the ending of the book during the reunion with his family and friend. The ending left me wondering about those years of him staying in Vietnam and how he came to that decision and why he didn't attempt to leave with his family or even not contacting his parents in the United States at anytime. A lot of unanswered questions for me.