Korean War Novel Nominated for Two Military Writers Society of America 2011 Book Awards

Jeffrey Miller's moving story of a young man's search for his grandfather's remains, who was reported missing in action during the Korean War has been nominated for two Military Writers Society of America 2011 Book Awards.

Daejeon, Korea South (prHWY.com) September 12, 2011 - Robert "Bobby" Washkowiak battles his way through the first bitter winter of the Korean War longing for home, his wife and newborn son. Fifty years later, his son and grandson come across his wartime letters and together, they try to find out what happened to Bobby on one of the battlefields of that forgotten war.

Old letters and photographs found in a footlocker that had been forgotten in an attic for years take Michael Washkowiak back in time to the opening months of the Korean War. He learns how his grandfather fought to stay alive in some of the fiercest fighting of the conflict.

"Although fifty years had passed since his grandfather had been reported missing, maybe there was someone out there who might be able to shed light on what happened and perhaps information that might be useful for helping to find his remains. That's the closure he hoped for; the kind of closure he hoped would finally bring his grandfather home after all these years.
Finding out about what happened to his grandfather that cold February night in Hoengsong had become more than some semblance of closure or peace of mind for his father and grandmother. What it had really become for him, and he knew this the first time he read one of his grandfather's letters, was how he began to discover a forgotten war."

* * *

"Jeffrey Miller captures the terror and agony of war up front--not just any war but the "forgotten" Korean War that lives on in the hearts and minds of those who lived through it and the loved ones of those who died. He alternates between images of horror and friendship on historic battlefields with scenes of the warmth, love, longing and sadness of a middle-American family on the home front. Over-all, the plot is imaginative, a portrayal of the suffering of war from vivid action to endless waiting and longing. His book is a welcome addition to the scant literature of a war whose significance intensifies with awareness of the threat still posed by North Korea--and the dangers of a second Korean War."

Don Kirk author of Korea Betrayed: Kim Dae Jung and Sunshine and Korean Crisis: Unraveling of the Miracle in the IMF Era

* * *

"Bobby Washkowiak battles his way through the bitter first winter of the Korean War, longing for home. Fifty years later, his son and grandson come across the wartime letters from the father and grandfather they never knew and learn what happen to him on one of the battlefields of that 'forgotten war.' In this emotional tour de force, Jeffrey Miller vividly recreates the horrors of combat and the yearning for closure experienced by millions of soldiers and their families."

Michael Breen, author of Kim Jong-Il: North Korea's Dear Leader and The Koreans: Who They Are, What They Want, Where their Future Lies.

* * *


"In War Remains, Jeffrey Miller has penned a gripping story of the Korean War through the eyes and hearts of a soldier, his comrades in arms, and the family he left behind. Vivid and wrenching battle scenes provide counterpoint for the present-day search of a soldier's grandson for the grandfather he and his father never knew. With elegant and skillful prose, Miller brings home to the reader the chaos and terror of battle, the ache of loss, and the bittersweet cup of remembrance. This novel will give those three letters MIA new and deeper meaning to all who read it. In the end, War Remains is a deeply satisfying affirmation of the gratitude and regard due those who sacrificed so much in a war forgotten by too many."

Steven Spruill, author of Ice Men: A Novel of the Korean War

* * *

"Miller's novel casts vivid light on a forgotten conflict in which superpower grappled with superpower on Asia's grimmest killing fields, but his real achievement is in the poignant illumination he sheds upon the human cost stemming from statesmen's failures."

Andrew Salmon, author of To the Last Round

* * *

"I highly recommend War Remains to readers...this book has touched me deeply and is sticking with me both in my mind and my heart days after completing it. War Remains is a very impressive first novel for Jeffrey Miller."

Joyce Gilmour, Military Writers Society of America Book Review

* * *

"Alternating from present day to wartime past, the novel unfolds through pulsating battle scenes, personal vignettes and quiet introspection, making use of jumping perspectives in order to create an intimate tale of loyalty, love and livelihood."

Ines Min, Korea Times

* * *


War Remains is now available in paperback and hardcover editions from Lulu.com

Paperback Edition

ISBN: 978-0-557-87013-4
Pages: 362
Price: 19.99

http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/PapaSparks

http://www.warremains.blogspot.com

###

Tag Words: south korea, mia, korean war, second infantry division, 1950

Categories: Literature

Link To This Press Release:

URL HTML Code