Today amidst political divides and unending military involvement in the Greater Middle East, the Vietnam quagmire feels familiar. In Ken Burns recent documentary The Vietnam War, he spoke of "the seeds of disunion” sewn during that time. He believes that Vietnam is "central to understanding who we are now.” Fake news, mass demonstrations, stolen documents—not new! Enter Amity Bridge Books' new release Curse of Interesting Times: A Vietnam-Era Memoir by Patricia Ann Paul. Paul opens with President Lyndon Johnson's announcement on March 31, 1968, that he will not run for a second term due to the Vietnam War. Contemporary events situate each chapter historically, including political, judicial, musical, and film happenings. That year was the Age of Aquarius. Hair opened on Broadway; 16,889 American soldiers died in Vietnam; Martin Luther King, Jr and Robert F Kennedy were assassinated; Anti-Vietnam War riots roiled the Democratic National Convention; Americans elected Richard Nixon, the only president to resign. In June 1968 Paul graduated from university and married eight days later. She began her adult life under the curse of interesting times. Her memoir relates the adventures of two engaged university students caught in the military draft during that tumultuous year. Relieved to be stationed in Germany, they begin an adventurous journey adjusting to army life while discovering castles and cathedrals. But they struggle financially to live together and constantly fear his transfer to Nam. Living immersed in tragic reminders of the Cold War and World War II, they confront clashing reports about Vietnam. Their contrasting identities as former students, now military, complicate the issues. Paul explains, "It was difficult to unravel what was happening. What was right? What was wrong?" Besides the Burns' documentary, numerous fiction and nonfiction books tell tales that glorify or horrify combat in Vietnam. But what about the 1.3 million American boys, almost 70% of all draftees, who served elsewhere? How did their experience shape their lives? Their story remains in the shadow of heroism and ultimate sacrifice, untold. Yet it was still an emotional battle set in political turmoil similar to today. Curse of Interesting Times offers a healing perspective intended to spark discussion. Patricia Ann Paul has lived through extraordinary experiences in half a dozen different countries and brings deep wisdom to this memoir of her marriage to a draftee during the Vietnam era. Worth reading! --HELEN THORPE , award-winning, bestselling author of The Newcomers, Soldier Girls, and Just Like Us and former First Lady of Colorado Curse of Interesting Times expertly weaves together a newly-wed couples' love, the culture-shock of military life in Germany, and the events and pop culture of the Vietnam Conflict. The intimate details of the book gave me insight into the impact that this war had on university students, military husbands and their wives, and the citizens in countries that hosted military bases. It's a studied look at an important era in American history. -- CONNIE SHOEMAKER , author of The Good Daughter: Secrets, Life Stories, and Healing and Taste the Sweetness Later This month I had the treat of reading the memoir of Patricia Ann Paul. . . . Imagine a recent college graduate, worried her fiancé would be drafted and sent to Vietnam before they could marry. . . . Paul's new husband gets drafted, and the military sends him to Germany. The young newlyweds from Iowa cross the threshold into adulthood and expand their worldview during this deployment. Conflicting feelings arise for Paul as she tries to make sense of the world around them; a deep love for country, but a desire for peace; shock at the violence happening back home in America; constant worry that her husband would be deployed to Vietnam. . . . Paul's memoir brings up questions that are relevant today. Certainly, the political turmoil back then parallels our current time. --AMANDA MERRIMAN, Castle Pines Connection Patricia Ann Paul's recently published memoir title: "Curse of Interesting Times: A Vietnam Era Memoir" is based on a reputed Chinese curse, "May you live in interesting times," which . . . unfortunately, strikes home today. Paul mentions Ken Burns' statement, connected to his recent documentary about the Vietnam War . . . that "it is central to understanding who we are now." That is a thread that runs through the book, with its historic notes heading many chapters. I found this really engaging. --SONYA ELLINGBOE, Colorado Community Media I love the way Curse of Interesting Times , a story of war and family, comes full circle in Germany. I felt like I was there with Pat and John in their tiny apartment and on their travels in post-World War II Germany during the Cold War. Such a frank and touching love story, and what an affirming way to end the book! -- SALLY WALLING Curse of Interesting Times depicts the tumultuous si