The Turnaround
by George Pelecanos
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Book Summary Information
Author: George PelecanosEdition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2008-08-01
ISBN: 0316156477
Number of pages: 304
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Book Reviews of The Turnaround
Book Review: "What matters now is how you make the turnaround."
Summary: 4 Stars
Pelecanos takes the life-changing events of one night of random violence in 1972 Washington, DC, building a tale of consequence and retribution as troubled men learn to coexist with their burdened pasts. When three white teens, Billy, Pete and Alex, stoned and bored, drive recklessly into an exclusively black neighborhood, Heathrow Heights, hurling insults at three young black men outside a local store, they find their easy escape thwarted by a dead end. Forced to turn around and face the angry boys, one, Pete, runs into the woods. Billy steps from the car, followed by Alex, a too-late apology on Billy's lips. Within minutes, Billy is dead from a gunshot wound and Alex's face is bashed by the boot of Charles Barker. Given the times, the white boys are perceived by the courts as impetuous kids looking for a bit of mischief, James Monroe sentenced to jail for murder, Barker for a shorter time for assault and Raymond Monroe released without charges because of his age. Billy is dead, Alex forever scarred and two young men behind bars for one moment of incredible stupidity by the intruders.
Forty years later, the world has changed considerably, Pete a successful businessman, Alex taking over his father's small diner, one son dead in Iraq, the other working with him. James Monroe has spent much of his life in prison thanks to bad decisions and the influence of Charles Barker, Raymond working as a physical therapist at Walter Reed Hospital, his son currently in Afghanistan. A chance meeting between Raymond Monroe and Alex Pappas reignites the past, as the author explores the paths of his protagonists and their fates after that pivotal event. Seeking resolution, Raymond contacts Alex, the men's lives are explored chapter by chapter, their failed dreams and vague hopes for a better future. And just as he was in 1972, Charles Barker remains the one unstable piece of a complicated history, skating through the system with an eye to getting over, always hoping for that big score in a world that has treated him unfairly.
The young men and women recovering at Walter Reed play a large role in this novel, not only through Ray's involvement, but with Alex's continued deliveries of baked goods from the diner. Pelecanos stresses the bravery of these returning soldiers as they face daunting odds, their trials certainly more meaningful than the event one summer night in 1972 Heathrow Heights. Moving toward a resolution of past grievances and an opportunity for restitution, Barker remains the one unpredictable factor, the destructive force that threatens years of rebuilding after disastrous decisions. The message is clear: "What matters is how you make the turnaround." Violence begets violence and tragedy, while forgiveness offers peace of mind as four men come to terms with their choices and delayed dreams. Luan Gaines/2008.
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