Readers' rating:
Published Nov 2006
224 pages
Genre: Literary Fiction
Publication Information
Late one night, Hugo (an unremarkable, middle-aged salesman) stumbles upon an online auction for a Silver Star, the medal awarded for bravery in battle. He bids and wins. But it is only after he places the lapel pin on his jacket that he realizes the enormity of his actions. Suddenly, ordinary people begin to treat him differently, with dignity and respect. Is he really going to pretend the honor is his own?
As Hugo wrestles with his conscience, a transformation begins to take place. He studies the life of a marine, learns the military terminology, body-builds at the gym, even gets a crew cut. When he is reborn as a former marine, his life immediately changes. Is it possible that his deception has unlocked the man he always wanted to be? Through numerous challenges and more than one terrifying ordeal, Hugo Marder must prove his worth. And in the end, he must ask himself: What is a hero?
"Unconvincing and instantly forgettable." - Kirkus.
"Enthusiastically recommended." - Library Journal.
"Lehrer's fans will appreciate his latest, but it may be too simple a yarn to attract new readers." - PW.
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Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Jim Lehrer was executive editor and former news anchor for PBS NewsHour.
Lehrer was born May 19, 1934 in Wichita, Kansas. He attended middle school in Beaumont, Texas, and graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School in San Antonio, Texas, where he was one of the three sports editors at the Jefferson Declaration. He graduated from Victoria College in Texas and the University of Missouri.
After three years in the US Marine Corps, he began his news career in Dallas, first as a newspaperman, and then later as the anchor on a local news show. Lehrer started work with PBS in 1972, and in 1975 started The MacNeil/Lehrer Report with Robert MacNeil. The show was renamed The MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour, later, The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer and finally, as PBS NewsHour. In 1999 Lehrer was awarded the ...
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