Reflections—Between the Lines: The Healing of the Vietnam Generation are the stories of every man and woman who returned from Vietnam. They came back alive, but many were physically, mentally and spiritually wounded. The fifty-five men and women whose words and photos fill these pages had the courage to bear their souls, knowing it would stir up old demons. These are not stories of war, but of the long journey they’ve all taken from the terrifying madness that was Vietnam, to this life twenty-five years after the fall of Saigon.
Jan Goff-LaFontaine is married to a Vietnam veteran. Her work on Reflections began with a need to understand her husband’s challenges with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and grew into a desire to give a voice to all Vietnam veterans.
Reviews:
“What a wonderful and fascinating book! You have done a great service and a fabulous job. I am so honored to be included.”—Senator Max Cleland
“Her photographs and interviews provide a provocative and insightful look at the state of the Vietnam veteran in contemporary society. This book seeks to break down the conventional negative stereotypes that many Americans hold about these veterans. It also inspires hope for the thousands who are still surviving that difficult experience. Her work is a moving tribute to the way that human courage and spirit can survive and rekindle in spite of horrendously dehumanizing conditions.”—Peninsula Pulse
“Jan Goff-Lafontaine has produced a wonderful, remarkable, healing book. Photographs of 50 plus people who were there-from combat veterans to Red Cross workers and everything in be-tween-are accompanied by reflections about the costs of war in the words of each person. Jan’s Vietnam veteran husband got PTSD after the Loma Prieta earthquake [subsequent trauma often triggers PTSD reactions]. She didn’t understand so she started talking to other vets, and to quote her, “My heart opened, and I knew these were stories that had to be heard by others. I wanted these experiences to be in a book so that everyone could know the struggles, the courage, and the triumphs of Vietnam vets, and realize the personal toll of war.” Me, too. It’s a great book. Reflections Between the Lines moved me to tears in a lot of places, something that I consider a healing quality. It also made me laugh out loud. I had trouble putting the book down. Her subtitle is “The Healing of the Vietnam Generation,” and this is one of the ways we heal, telling our stories.”—Patience Mason of Patience Press
“This is a powerful book, a sanctuary for contemplation and understanding. The… stories of veterans photographed in Reflections confirm that war, and its aftermath, is tragic. Yet, through a healing journey their triumphs are extraordinary. Thankfully, for posterity, their stories will not be lost. May these chapters of man and woman’s experience with war be fuel—inspiration of the highest order—for making a difference in people’s lives.”—Diane Carlson Evans, Chair and Founder, Vietnam Women’s Memorial Project, Army Nurse Corps (1966-72) Vietnam ((1968-69)