Beyond the Wall: The Journey Home
(Formerly titled ‘Still the Monkey, What Happens to Warriors after War’)
“DESPITE VOLUMES WRITTEN about war and its effects throughout the
ages, it is difficult to convey the experience to those of us who have not experienced
combat. Through the story of Dennis, a Vietnam Veteran, this
compelling novel engages the reader from the first page and allows us into
the world of honor, courage, loyalty, and commitment, as well as the brutality
of war, and the pain of its consequences.
“It is at its best in conveying what we clinicians refer to as ‘survival guilt,’ a
short cut term that can barely begin to describe the aftermath of the combination
of intense and almost sacred bonds formed during combat with
the brutal loss of those so uniquely loved. Although as civilians we will
never fully understand what it is like to live through and beyond combat,
this important book will help us to appreciate the living consequences of
those who have.”
— Dr. M. Tracie Shea | Professor, Psychiatry & Human Behavior,
Brown University
“ONE OF THE YEAR’S BEST” (2007)
— The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)
“A POIGNANT AND POWERFUL NOVEL...”
— Midwest Book Review, April 2007 Fiction Shelf
“A MOVING NOVEL”
— VVA Magazine April 2008 Issue (Vietnam Veterans of America)
“AS A THERAPIST who treats veterans with post traumatic stress disorder, I
found this book powerfully wields a new pathway for teaching others
about combat trauma...it is cathartic and poetic all at once.”
— Jerome Beightol | PTSD Therapist and Veteran
“TAGLIAFERRI WAS A HISTORY MAJOR in college. Today she’s an author
and entrepreneur… (her) book tells the story of a Vietnam Vet and how
he came to know a young Veteran of our current conflicts who had lost
both legs in Iraq. The issue of PTSD (The Monkey) and the impact on
their lives is front and center and makes for a good read, even if often
shockingly brutal and true to life.
I was curious how she (Tagliaferri) had learned so much about us and even
more to the point, I was fascinated with the degree of historical accuracy
she provides. I’m not known to be particularly shy so I contacted her and
we talked. We talked longer and in more depth than I could have imagined.
She’s a civilian with scant connection to anything military but it was
quickly apparent that she gets it.”
— Jim Strickland | VA Watchdog, 5/2/07, EVERYTHING YOU EVER
WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT FILING A CLAIM FOR PTSD
(Advice from Veterans’ Advocate Jim Strickland)
“I AM AMAZED at the depth of understanding and obvious compassion of
your character(s). I am also extremely impressed that you could present
this material without it devolving into a crass political statement, a failure
too often experienced by writers whose work—unlike yours—I found immature
and of little value. I cannot explain to you the emotions I felt
reading parts of the book, and how I feel about you for having written it
the way you did. The words that come to mind would sound trite or
inappropriate. You have done a great service to many veterans.”
— Dr. David Rathgeber, Retired USMC
“A REALISTIC, INFORMATIVE and mind-rattling account of war (Vietnam
and Iraq)—and the human costs. Tagliaferri hits the nail dead center.”
— Walter T. Steinbacher, A.Co. 1st Bn. 26th Marine, Vietnam, ’66-67
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