In War, Can the Innocent Survive?

This compelling war novel will stir hearts in the upcoming Guadalajara International Book Exhibit in Mexico on November 30 – December 4

Larkspur, CA – Author Anthony De Benedict illustrates how the chaos and uncertainties of war affect people in different ways. One person may succumb to fear and despair, dissipating into the excesses of drugs, sex, and violence. Another, like Regis Fallen, might find war’s dissonance an opportunity for transformation. At the beginning of his story, we find him consumed with his innocent pursuit of the American dream: a college education, a promising career, and a desirable partner with whom to share home and a comfortable lifestyle. The deconstruction of his innocence was at first initiated by Sharon, a young black woman totally committed to the Civil Rights Movement. And then Regis was drafted into a war deliberately mischaracterized by his government. The forces set against Regis’ utopic dream were formidable. His relation with Sharon was considered “unnatural”; and any opposition to the war, unpatriotic.

In this compelling read, readers will not miss the parallels between Vietnam and Iraq as they leaf through A Culpable Innocence. The intricate plot embellishes historical events in their actual chronology, much of mirrored in contemporary times. Readers will follow Regis as he attempts to redefine his American birthright in the midst of the racial, political, and military strife of that era. Many themes are interwoven in a tale that encompasses both the horrors of war and the persistence of the human spirit. As Regis is drawn into the political intrigue and espionage of a Vietnamese judge and his seductive niece, his preconceived ideas about loyalty, love, and integrity are challenged. In response, he changes the trajectory of his life, risking everything in a daring rescue attempt and then returning to civilian life, transformed in purpose and firmly committed to his true love.

Differing perspectives may judge Regis’s actions as traitorous or heroic. Where readers can agree, however, is their authenticity. Finding one’s purpose and making life meaningful are individual tasks we all share—most especially in time of war and chaos. What Regis did was to create a life he could live with a free conscience, not one conditioned by others. He reprised the essence of the American dream.

For further information, you may visit author’s website at www.aculpableinnocence.com. This book is available online and can be purchased at www.bookwhirl.com, www.amazon.com and www.barnesandnoble.com.

About the Author

Anthony De Benedict was born in Philadelphia, PA. His developing years were spent in California where he earned a BA, studying philosophy and English literature, and eventually an MS, studying systems management. He worked mainly as a project manager or systems consultant and, in 2001, managed a dot.com that succumbed to the economic downturn. He then turned his attention to writing novels. A Culpable Innocence is his first published novel. It is based upon his service in Vietnam, for which he received a Bronze Star. He felt compelled to write it for those who might learn from a path once followed.

A Culpable Innocence by Anthony De Benedict

Publication Date: December 2011

Price: $25.95; 340 pages; ISBN 978-0-533-16363-2