Shooting the Moon by Frances O'Roark Dowell Book Report

This story I found to be very enjoyable, it interested me from the beginning to the end. I recommend this book to reader, as it is one of the best I've read.

Shooting the Moon takes place in Texas, America during the Vietnam War. This is a crucial time in America especially if one of your family members is there. The 12-year-old Jamie is raised in a Military family, where the army way is the way. She has a positive view over war during most of the story, but after a while her mind is completely changed.

Her brother, who just graduated from high school enlisted in the army. Jamie is surprised that her father tries to convince TJ not to go, but TJ and Jamie have been dreaming to follow their father's footsteps all their lives. Unfortunately TJ's mind is set and Jamie is happy he is going, she wants to receive letters describing the excitement of real-life combat: the sound of helicopters, the smell of gunpowder and the exhilaration of being right in the thick of it.

TJ's very first letter home was disappointing for Jamie, instead of a descriptive war letter is was a set of photos, I had a slight feeling it would be photos because TJ was popular for photos, especially his moon shots. All the Pictures were boring said Jamie. There were a couple of soldiers drinking beer and a couple more of a dog. And there it was, a picture of the moon in Vietnam, that was the best one but not what he wanted. So he gave it to Cindy, her slightly retarded friend after insulting her by accident.

Jamie is working at the rec center an army base were her dad works in Texas. This is where Jamie's life is. She plays cards everyday with Private Hollister eats with the local soldiers etc. She even learns Vietnam talk from Sgt. Byrd, Ambulance is Cracker Box and you call the enemy Charlie and Mr. Charles. Normally this isn't the average hang out place for 12-year-old girl.

Week after week TJ has been sending these boring photo clips until one day it arrives. A picture of a nurse carrying a wounded soldier on to a helicopter and a soldier trying not to look at him, as if it disgusting. The second picture is of American base full of captured North Vietnamese. From there on in Jamie kept receiving pictures like this and gradually changed her mind over war and understood why everyone was against it. The Dexter's word "The Army way is the way" means to nothing her. And once he stops writing she comes to the conclusion that he is killed and she goes through a depression for a while. Once it was all over Private Hollister her friend, is set to Vietnam and her depression restarts.

At the end of the book TJ returns home wounded, but TJ home means everything to Jamie. Unfortunately TJ is different person and the relationship between them is completely different said Jamie.

I thought the story was very interesting and I could believe it is a true story. The author