PASSAGES

A young Greek psychiatrist far from home strikes up an unlikely friendship with a misunderstood Vietnam War veteran in Edgewater’s novel.

Miko Papagiannis, the passionate son of a fisherman, lives far from the sparkling Aegean Sea where he grew up. Now a psychiatrist in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Miko is assigned to counsel AJ Connolly, a drunk, violent Vietnam War veteran who stumbled into the hospital emergency room wielding a gun and single bullet. Week after week, Miko explores the veteran’s tortured mind and tangled past, uncovering his own truths along the way. Though Miko is successful, adept, and adored by his loving wife, he, too, is at war—within himself (Miko harbors an intense guilt after leaving his mother and father overseas). With no choice but to move forward through the fog of uncertainty, both Miko and AJ struggle to find peace while confronting challenging and shocking revelations. Edgewater spins a provocative and unique tale that centers around an unlikely and complex relationship. The work includes passages of poetic prose that drop the reader straight into the “solar sparkle of an ancient and fabled Aegean Sea” as well as profound insights regarding humanity’s proclivity for conflict and desire for love. Much of the dialogue, however, reads as rather stilted and unrealistic; the author often opts for long monologues in which significant topics such as war, domestic violence, and sexual assault are not treated with the gravity one might expect. Miko’s character is, on the surface, both tantalizing and tortured, but begs to be further explored. (AJ’s stories of his time in the Navy dominate the narrative.) While the novel is expertly plotted and paced, more introspection would aid the readers in feeling truly drawn to the characters. Still, the distinctiveness of the plot and primary relationship will keep readers turning the pages.

An original tale filled with truth and vulnerability that illustrates the many ways in which war can rage.