The War on All Fronts

by Kim Oclon

During the summer of 1967, Sam heads off to the University of Wisconsin while Anthony enlists in the US Army. Can their secret love survive a year on the front lines?

344 pages, Paperback

Published May 7, 2022

About the author

With a BA in screenwriting and MFA in Fiction, Kim Oclon taught high school for seven years before becoming a mom to the best girl and boy in the world. While teaching, she taught creative writing and film classes in addition to the classics. She also co-founded the school's first gay-straight alliance. A reader all her life, Kim's first literary loves were a series of Care Bear Books. Eventually, she graduated to Sweet Valley Twins and The Babysitters Club. She always knew she wanted to be a writer but it wasn't until high school when she read The Things They Carried did she think, THIS is good writing.

Reviews

[Nicole M. Hewitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This YA LGBT historical fiction novel highlights the turmoil of the Vietnam War and the personal turmoil of living in a world that can't accept you for who you are.

This book has so many emotional touchpoints. Anthony and Sam have been together for nearly a year, but absolutely no one knows, not even their families. To add to that, Anthony is shipping off to Basic training to serve in the Vietnam War while Sam goes away to college. While the two are apart, they find themselves living vastly different lives. Anthony's father is a war veteran, and he's proud to serve his country, but this war is nothing like what he imagined it would be. The brutality of war takes its toll on him. Meanwhile, at UW-Madison, Sam finds himself drawn to the growing anti-war movement, but he feels guilty for "betraying" Anthony (and his own brother, who is serving in the air force). Both Anthony and Sam start to realize that the realities (and politics) of war are far more complicated than they ever imagined.

The battle scenes in this book are powerful, especially because the war is so chaotic and Anthony never knows what to expect (and so neither does the reader). I'll confess that war stories aren't typically my favorite genre, but Anthony's emotional journey is compelling and so is Sam's burgeoning political awareness. And then there's their romantic relationship, which they keep alive via coded letters that can't say anything close to everything they want to say. These two boys are trying to figure out how they'll possibly navigate a life together even once they can be together. But honestly, the romance in the story takes a backseat to the personal journeys each of the boys go on during the war (as it should---there are life and death circumstances here!). The bittersweet conclusion to the book might not be what every reader is hoping for, but it feels right---utterly and completely realistic. This book is perfect for anyone who looks at the world and wonders how they can help stamp out war and injustice---unfortunately, we haven't done so yet, but every voice helps!

***Disclosure: This book was written by a friend, so I'm not even pretending to be 100% unbiased. I received an ebook from the publisher in exchange for an honest review (though I bought my own paperback as well and read that copy for this review). No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***

[Sydney Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

This amazing book is about two young men in a time that we are all still trying to digest: 1968. Truly a time where the title makes sense. Oclon wrote to the heart—if you want to read a book about how it felt to be a young man during this tumultuous time, I highly recommend this one.

More on this to come!

[Katherine May · Rating 5 out of 5]

The “War On All Fronts” takes place during the Vietnam War Era, in 1967 and 1968. I’m a member of Gen X, so I grew up in the shadow of the Baby Boomers. The 1970s and 1980s seemed to pale in comparison to the 1960s, which ushered in major social, cultural, and political change. What drew me to this book was wanting to learn more about the mysterious decade that preceded my life.
I appreciate the research Oclon did for this book to make it as authentic as possible. Like her, I love “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien. Since thankfully neither of us fought in the Vietnam War like O’Brien, it was impressive that Oclon got a vet to tell her about his experiences.
What I found surprising through this book was that even in a decade of free love and free spirits, gay people had to mainly stay closeted. Even hippies who protested the war, dodged the draft and did drugs had a hard time accepting gays.
That brings me to the central relationship of the book between Anthony and Sam, who met in high school and fell in love. After graduation, Sam goes to college and Anthony goes to the Vietnam War. The separation tests their feelings for each other while their new environments test their understanding of themselves and where they fit into society. Oclon describes their relationship with deep compassion and insight, which drew me into this story on an emotional level.
Oclon skillfully balances both the macro and micro levels in a story of its time, but relatable across the decades for all generations. I highly recommend this book to both teens and adults alike.

[Sandra Macek · Rating 5 out of 5]

Set in an unusual time period for YA, this Vietnam War era story by Kim Oclon is suspenseful and thought-provoking. One young man at the warfront, one at university, their worlds are wildly different, but as gay men in the 1960's they share the all-too-real fear that someone will learn their secret. Anthony's terror as a soldier fighting for his life is mirrored on the inside as he's forced to question his safety should his brothers find out he's in love with his pen pal, Sam. Meanwhile, Sam struggles to find himself as he continues to distance himself from his conservative family and worries for Anthony's life.
I enjoyed this unique and deeply moving story that so accurately reflects this time in our country's history and the early experience of LGBTQ+ youth in the civil rights era.

[Amy Potts Ostrowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the many things this author does so well is highlight the additional challenges Anthony and Sam have in trying to hide their relationship on top of the conflicts on the ground in Vietnam and at home in the U.S. Readers will root for Anthony and Sam from page one as both struggle with what they thought they knew and what they learn about the realities of war. In the classroom, this book would make a fantastic addition to any literature circle list. Highly recommended!

[Gail · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really, really liked this. The story was well done with the two POV and it was set so firmly in 1968 without being over-the-top with clothing and music descriptions (just the right amount). Read it if you liked Midnight at the Telegraph Club.