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Smoky Joe's Cafe
by Bryce Courtenay
(Penguin, pounds 5.99)
In his new novel, The Power Of One author Bryce Courtenay looks at Australia's Vietnam War legacy, where young men went to war as heroes but returned virtual war criminals in the eyes of the '60s hippie generation. A government later embarrassed by its involvement swept the mental and physical problems of its heroes under the shagpile. Heroes, says Courtenay, who are still out there and still suffering.
In Smoky Joe's Cafe, ex-serviceman Thommo is screwed-up by Vietnam, waking screaming in the night with memories of the VC. 'Harmless' chemical defoliants his own side used have taken their toll and he's afflicted with skin disorders, night sweats and violent behaviour. Despite all his, sweetheart Wendy has stood by her rough diamond and they even have a daughter, Anna. But, with what Thommo's seen, leading a normal civilian life running Smoky Joe's Cafe in a quiet Australian backwater is hard work.