Matthew Hefti
Mystery to Me 1863 Monroe St., Madison, Wisconsin 53711
Matthew Hefti discusses his debut novel A Hard and Heavy Thing.
"America's Asian wars have already inspired fine novels, and this debut effort is an intense, compelling addition. Hefti was an explosive ordnance disposal technician deployed to Afganistan and Iraq twice, and his depiction of life and death in the misbegotten Iraq invasion stay with readers for a long time." --Booklist (starred review)
Contemplating suicide after eight years at war, Levi sits down to write a note to his best friend Nick, explaining why he’s lost all hope. After a childhood of blood pacts, punk shows, and competing infatuations with the wounded and troubled Eris, both went off to war in a fit of youth and misdirected patriotism. But now Levi returns from Iraq both disgraced and lauded.