All the Broken Pieces by Ann Burg


 

 

Two years after being airlifted out of war-tornVietnam, Matt Pin is haunted: by bombs that fell like dead crows, by smoke and death, by the brother—andthe terrible secret—he left behind. Now in a loving adoptive home in the United States, over the course of a baseball season, a series of profound events forces him to confront his past, and slowly, sometimes painfully, heal. By turns harrowing, dreamlike, sad, and triumphant, this intense novel in verse reveals an unforgettable and little-seen perspective on the Vietnam War and its survivors.

Questions to think about:

Put your answers to the questions and any comments about the book in the comment section below. 

Matt's father said, "Whether we went or whether we stayed, the war changed us all."  What do you think he meant?

 

Have you ever been judged on the way you look? How does it feel?

 

How does baseball help Matt heal?