How Many Roads by Dean Hughes
Gene and Emily are just getting married. Gene is still in college.
Diane and Greg are engaged and getting married. Diane is learning that Greg is manipulative.
Hans is in prison in East Germany. The government is trying to get him to confess to helping Bernt in his attempted escape and to tell of the other people that were involved.
Kathy is still at Smith College but is starting to become less angry and always wanting to fight.
Gene and Emily get pregnant on their honeymoon even though Emily is on the pill. She is not happy. She wanted to finish college and have time alone with Gene. She does not want him to go to Vietnam. She wants him to try to get a delay or have his father Alex try to get him out. Gene refuses to take the easy way even though he can't bear leaving his new family. Gene is drafted soon after his son Danny is born and he has graduated from the U. He goes to Vietnam and ends up being a LURP. His job is to go out and scout to tell the other troops where to go. His first mission, he is paralyzed with fear. One of the men with him is seriously injured. He drags the man to the helicopter.
Diane and Greg move to Seattle for law school. Diane gets a job selling clothes in a fashionable store. Greg is gone all of the time. He belittles Diane constantly. Diane is soon pregnant. She and Greg have a daughter Jenny. Greg spends a lot of time at school with his study group and alone with a woman from the study group. At one point he grabs Diane harshly and pushes her against a mirror. She wants to leave but doesn't have the guts. All Greg cares about is that she is ready for sex at bedtime. He keeps promising that he will spend more time with Diane but he never does. Diane stumbles upon 'The Feminine Mystique'. She really begins to wonder what her life will be like when she is no longer a trophy to Greg.
Hans is miserable in prison. No matter what he says he cannot convince the government that he never saw anyone but Bernt during the attempted escape. He is put in a cold dark prison room. They take his Bible. He cannot even lie down during the day. He cannot move around too much....no exercise. He is bribed with a visit from his family and the offer to be able to relocate to America. He does not break. He refuses to go to America and leave his family. He feels the Holy Ghost and knows that even though he is miserable, he made the right choice. Finally the man that has been questioning him begins to like him and believe that he tells the truth. Hans is given a small apartment and a job. Basically he is on probation.
Kathy finally graduates from Smith. One of her professors has a thing for her. They become close. He brings up existentialism. Kathy begins to wonder if this is the answer to her feeling like she cannot deal with being a Church member any longer. Her family pleads for her not to give up on the church. Finally she agrees to keep praying and reading her scriptures. She is able to feel the Spirit at times. She tells her professor that she cannot let go of God. He basically makes fun of her. They both decide to join the Peace Corps. They are sent to different areas. Kathy goes to the Philippines. She learns a lot. She realizes after a visit from some of her students that she has been asking the wrong questions all of her life. This seems like a real turning point for Kathy.
I am enjoying these books the more I come to know the characters. I suffer with Gene and Emily as he goes off to war. I want to strangle Diane when she doesn't leave Greg (well I wanted to strangle her for marrying him in the first place). I get disgusted as women's lib moves more to the forefront of their thoughts. I know that sounds wrong. I am so appreciative for that movement but the pendulum swung to far to the other side. That is the part that I don't agree with and I can see it coming for these women. I pray right along with Hans that he will someday be free and happy. And I am finally coming to appreciate Kathy a little more. I hope she finally comes around and realizes that she can do so much more without vicious anger.
Rating 4.5
Rating PG war violence, violence against women
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