Soldiers in Hiding - Softcover

Wiley, Richard

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0451149548 ISBN 13: 9780451149541

Publisher: Signet, 1987

Synopsis

This remarkable novel is not only an imaginative work of the very highest order but a cross-cultural tour de force of extraordinary daring and vision. It begins in Tokyo in 1941, when Teddy Maki and Jimmy Yamamoto, two young Japanese-American jazz musicians, are stranded in Japan after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, drafted into the Japanese army and sent to the Philippines, the scene of bloody conflict with guerrillas and American troops. Rather than act as true soldiers, the two young men attempt to disengage themselves from the savagery of a war in which they are unable to choose sides. But such innocence is impossible to maintain. Thirty years later, Teddy Maki, by then a star of Japanese television, is still haunted by Jimmy's death and his own failure to disobey the order of his commanding officer to shoot an American prisoner. The guilt that poisons his relationship with his wife and son and with the country in which he has chosen to live as a perpetual outsider speaks to the moral issues raised by all wars--from Auschwitz to My Lai.

About this title

About the Author

Richard Wiley won the 1987 PEN/Faulkner Award for Best American Fiction for Soldiers in Hiding, his first novel. He has lived and taught in Korea, Japan, Kenya, and Nigeria, and is the author of Fools’ Gold, Festival for Three Thousand Maidens, Indigo, and Ahmed’s Revenge. He is currently a professor of English at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Mr. Wiley is also on the executive board of the North American Network of Cities of Asylum.

Review

"A rich and ingenious novel that succeeds brilliantly." —THE NEW YORK TIMES

"A work of exceptional power and imagination." —PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

"A mature novel ... the spirit of Graham Greene is here." —KIRKUS REVIEWS

"Wonderful ... Original ... Terrific ... Haunting ... Reading Soldiers in Hiding is like watching a man on a high wire." —THE LOS ANGELES TIMES

"Extraordinary ... A feat of the imagination rendered with surprising skill ... you’ll remember this book for a long time." —CHICAGO SUN-TIMES

"Intelligent and interesting ... daring and entirely convincing." —THE WASHINGTON POST

"Admirable, smooth, dispassionate ... for an American to write from a Japanese standpoint, regardless of how long he has studied their culture, is an act of extreme literary bravery." —CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR

"Superb ... First-rate ... Ingeniously plotted with surprising twists and turns that continually move the story in unexpected directions" —THE SEATTLE TIMES

"Richly imagined and wonderfully written ... Richard Wiley is a first-rate talent." —CLEVELAND PLAIN DEALER

"Satisfying ... Draws the reader into a combination of surprising plot turns and richly textured characters." —ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION

Edition details

• Publisher: Signet
• Publication date: 1987
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0451149548
• ISBN 13: 9780451149541
• Binding: Mass Market Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 237