The Brave

by Nicholas Evans

First published 2010

Tom Bedford has chosen isolation in the Montana wilderness, keeping his distance from his son Danny, now serving in Iraq. Tom's childhood was spent in 1960s Hollywood glamour when his movie star mother fell for cowboy actor Ray Montane. That glittering world collapsed after a deadly confrontation forced Tom and his mother to run. Tom buried that past until the Army charges Danny with murder following a violent skirmish gone wrong. The military demands accountability for the bloody mistake. Tom must confront the violence that shaped his youth to rescue the son he allowed to drift away. Father and son face the challenge of understanding each other while discovering what courage truly means. Evans weaves together two timelines as Tom's Hollywood childhood and Danny's present crisis collide, forcing both men to reckon with the different forms bravery can take.

Genres: fiction, drama, adventure, contemporary, action, family-drama

Vibes: emotional, fast-paced, thought-provoking

Tropes: father-son-relationship, redemption, second-chance

Setting: Iraq, Montana

Period: 1960s, 21st Century

353 pages · Hardcover · Little, Brown and Company

Content warnings: violence

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