Craig and Joan

by Eliot Asinof

No Synopsis Available.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0670245410
• ISBN13: 9780670245413
• Release Date: April 1971
• Publisher: Viking Books
• Length: 245 Pages
• Weight: 1.05 lbs.

Customer Reviews

An Unforgettable Book

While Craig Badiali and Joan Fox have long been deceased, this book, which I read many years ago, keeps their memory alive in a very powerful and lingering way. Two teenagers, both idealistic and distraught over the state of the world, particularly the Vietnam war, elect to kill themselves as an act of peace. The interviews with friends, family, teachers, etc. provide a thorough, balanced portrait of these young people--the only omission is Joan's family, who declined to participate. I would dearly love to know what happened to the siblings, parents, and friends of Craig and Joan (if any of you read this review, please post something!); I wonder, too, what kind of adults Craig and Joan would have turned out to be. I think we lost two individuals who could have contributed greatly to society.

A poignant reminder of war's lesser-known losses

I first read this sad, touching account of two teenagers taking their lives in the name of peace almost thirty years ago, when I was a teenager myself, and I have never forgotten it. Having recently acquired a copy once more, I find that it has lost none of its quiet power. While countless books deal with the Vietnam War, the antiwar movement, and the cultural upheaval of the 60's, most are written on a wider scale. This small, contemplative book provides a more intimate look, telling how two sensitive, middle-of-the-road, "nice" teenagers were torn by the war dividing their country, and how they were ultimately moved to a tragic act of despairing protest. While the war that claimed them is over, the issues they confronted still remain: How does a feeling human being deal with and live in an often harsh and uncaring world? Do we attempt to grapple with pain and meaning, or do we shut out everything that disturbs us and go about Business As Usual? This is a book still worth reading, and deserves to be reprinted.

A poignant reminder of war's lesser-known losses

I first read this sad, touching account of two teenagers taking their lives in the name of peace almost thirty years ago, when I was a teenager myself, and I have never forgotten it. Having recently acquired a copy once more, I find that it has lost none of its quiet power. While countless books deal with the Vietnam War, the antiwar movement, and the cultural upheaval of the 60's, most are written on a wider scale. This small, contemplative book provides a more intimate look, telling how two sensitive, middle-of-the-road, "nice" teenagers were torn by the war dividing their country, and how they were ultimately moved to a tragic act of despairing protest. While the war that claimed them is over, the issues they confronted still remain: How does a feeling human being deal with and live in an often harsh and uncaring world? Do we attempt to grapple with pain and meaning, or do we shut out everything that disturbs us and go about Business As Usual? This is a book still worth reading, and deserves to be reprinted.