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Prayer at Rumayla: A Novel of the Gulf War
Charles Sheehan-Miles Book Review

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Plot Summary of Prayer at Rumayla: A Novel of the Gulf War
"A young man serves as a tank crewman in the 1991 Gulf War and returns home, unable to live with his actions during the war. Rage and bitterness characterize much of the story.

It was an unusually good reflection of what it was like for the ground troops during the war."

Bill Richardson, Resident Scholar


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Review Analysis of Prayer at Rumayla: A Novel of the Gulf War
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Tone of book? - depressed
Time/era of story - 1980's-1999
Internal struggle/realization? Yes
Struggle over - conduct in war - vague finding self/purpose in life (i.e. no plot to book)
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
War/Revolt/Disaster on civilians Yes
Main char. serviced by prostitute? Yes
Druggie/Wino problems? - alcohol
Conflict: - War, general

Main Character
Gender - Male
Profession/status: - infantry soldier
Age: - 20's-30's
Eccentric/Mental Yes
Eccentric: - emotionally unstable
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events? Yes
Ethnicity/Nationality - White (American)
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence - Average intelligence
Physique - average physique

Main Adversary
Identity: - Male
Age: - 20's-30's
Profession/status: - infantry soldier
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a little/some
How sensitive is this character? - mean, arrogant
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Average intelligence
Physique - average physique

Setting
How much descriptions of surroundings? - 2 (a little)
United States Yes
The US: - Southeast - Northeast
Desert? Yes
Misc setting - fort/military installation

Style
Person - mostly 1st
Accounts of torture and death? - explicit references to deaths
Sex in book? Yes
What kind of sex: - vague references - touching of anatomy - actual description of hetero sex - descript. of female anat. (the big B's) - descript. of female anat. (the big V)
Lot of foul language? Yes
Unusual Style: - a lot of flashback and forwards - a lot of stream of consciousness
Amount of dialog - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
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