The Good Lieutenant A Novel
The Good Lieutenant by Whitney Terrell, published by Macmillan on June 7, 2016, is a novel that delves into the complexities of war through the experiences of Lieutenant Emma Fowler of the Twenty-seventh Infantry Battalion. This first edition, comprising 275 pages, begins with a dramatic military operation that goes awry, resulting in tragic consequences for both soldiers and civilians. The narrative unfolds in reverse, exploring the events leading up to the mission and providing a multifaceted perspective on the realities of war.
Readers will find a rich tapestry of viewpoints, including those of a female frontline officer and various soldiers, as well as Iraqi civilians. The story examines the impact of flawed intelligence and the moral dilemmas faced by those involved in the conflict. Through its exploration of themes such as survival and the consequences of good intentions, The Good Lieutenant presents an insightful look at the post-World War II era and the ongoing complexities of military engagement. This edition is available in English and offers a contemporary take on historical fiction, making it relevant to discussions about war and its aftermath.
Official synopsis Publisher
An acclaimed American novelist with a keen eye for our biggest issues and themes turns his gaze to Iraq, with astonishing results
The Good Lieutenant literally starts with a bang as an operation led by Lieutenant Emma Fowler of the Twenty-seventh Infantry Battalion goes spectacularly wrong. Men are dead–one, a young Iraqi, by her hand. Others were soldiers in her platoon. And the signals officer, Dixon Pulowski. Pulowski is another story entirely–Fowler and Pulowski had been lovers since they met at Fort Riley in Kansas.
From this conflagration, The Good Lieutenant unspools backward in time as Fowler and her platoon are guided into disaster by suspicious informants and questionable intelligence, their very mission the result of a previous snafu in which a soldier had been kidnapped by insurgents. And then even further back, before things began to go so wrong, we see the backstory unfold from points of view that usually are not shown in war coverage–a female frontline officer, for one, but also jaded career soldiers and Iraqis both innocent and not so innocent. Ultimately, as all these stories unravel, what is revealed is what happens when good intentions destroy, experience distorts, and survival becomes everything.
Brilliantly told and expertly captured by a terrific writer at the top of his form, Whitney Terrell’s The Good Lieutenant is a gripping, insightful, necessary novel about a war that is proving to be the defining tragedy of our time.
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