The Fourteenth of September by Rita Dragonette

The Fourteenth of September by Rita Dragonette – 385 pages

ARC sent from JKS Comm. in exchange for an honest review.

Book Blurb:

On September 14, 1969, Private First Class Judy Talton celebrates her nineteenth birthday by secretly joining the campus anti-Vietnam War movement. In doing so, she jeopardizes both the army scholarship that will secure her future and her relationship with her military family. But Judy’s doubts have escalated with the travesties of the war. Who is she if she stays in the army? What is she if she leaves?
When the first date pulled in the Draft Lottery turns up as her birthday, she realizes that if she were a man, she’d have been Number One—off to Vietnam with an under-fire life expectancy of six seconds. The stakes become clear, propelling her toward a life-altering choice as fateful as that of any draftee.

My Review: 4 stars

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The Fourteenth of September sets you smack dab in the middle of the Vietnam era. Set in the months before and after the 1969 Draft Lottery, the book offers an original perspective, a woman’s, on the Vietnam War.

Judy Talton, the protagonist of the novel, is at Central Illinois University with a scholarship from the US Army. Although the Army is providing her with an education, she gravitates towards the anti-Vietnam movement going on at school. This conundrum is what creates a tension within Judy that is played out throughout the novel.

Using a woman’s POV, created a new look into this time period, which felt fresh and overlooked in fiction. The title is perfect as birthdates became remarkably important, perhaps between life and death. Judy’s birthday being “Number One” – meant if she were a man, she would have been in the first group to be shipped off to fight, which created more inner turmoil for her. For the men, their birthdate usurped test scores or GPAs.

I completely enjoyed the premise and made me think about the young men who were fighting a war that they didn’t necessarily believe in. Call of duty vs. anti-Vietnam beliefs was a real struggle. A generation of young people learned to use their voices and fight the system as so many of their peers were lost in this war. I felt for Judy who was characterized with astute detail. Dragonette allowed me to visualize her in my mind and feel her struggle throughout the novel. Great debut novel.