The Initiated - Softcover

Voisard, Micki

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1684703514 ISBN 13: 9781684703517

Publisher: Lulu Publishing Services, 2019

Synopsis

It's 1968, San Francisco's Haight Ashbury is an ideal home for twenty-one-year-old, anti-war activist and newlywed, Maggie Finn... and "headquarters" for the Flower children, protesters and topless girls. Free love is everywhere. Then, on a bitter early morning, Maggie's three-day honeymoon dramatically sinks into a violent swamp. She fights her way out of the abusive control by her husband, Michael. Her world of smoking pot and attending free concerts in Golden Gate Park abruptly ends. Fortunately, Maggie has secured a position, on a dare, as a flight attendant transporting American troops to and from the Vietnam war. After her training, she steps onto her first flight, escorting 250 soldiers into the war zone. She soon recognizes how the men she takes over to Vietnam contrast from the ones she brings home, writing to her mother, "As with so many of the guys I escort from Vietnam, their eyes have changed from when I take them in-country."

About this title

From the Author

I've written 3 other non-fiction books, so fiction writing is new to me. I worked with a transport airliner during the Vietnam war but hung around friends who worked for competitive transports. Many of them remain good friends to this day and carry their share of leftover burdens from those earlier days... some have moved onto the next dimension. 
I felt when I was writing this book that not just my story was needed but the story of those who no longer have a voice or don't want to put their voice out there. For years we all sat around and discussed the drama that we witnessed. Then we would stand up and say" Oh, well..." and then go home. I didn't want to do that anymore.
I wrestled with the idea of writing a Memoir but really didn't find it to be much fun. I chose fiction because in many ways it resembles our lives - you need some structure, clarity, a backstory and a character arc. Seems I was in good company sharing all of those ingredients. Not all of the stories had great endings but they had adventure, so maybe, what many of us figured out was that we were willing to trade "great endings" for more adventure? And we had an upfront chance to hold hands with some of the most noble boys you might ever have known. That was special.I thank you for reading about my book. I wish you many great adventures!Micki Voisard

Review

In the book, The Initiated author Micki Voisard writes with powerful descriptive quality to bring the recent historical past back to life in vivid and almost painful living color. The narrative keeps a nice balance for fans of wartime fiction, plus those who want a more in-depth personal drama story. Overall, The Initiated is a highly recommended read for its broad appeal and excellent writing quality.
  Readers Favorite

Edition details

• Publisher: Lulu Publishing Services
• Publication date: 2019
• ISBN 10: 1684703514
• ISBN 13: 9781684703517
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 150