The Magical Stranger

The Magical Stranger (2013) by Stephen Rodrick. The "magical stranger" of the title is Rodrick's father, a military man who died young. Rodrick spends the book delving into his father's past, trying to figure out who the man was whom he missed so much yet had known so little about. In the process, Rodrick talks to some current Navy pilots, and slowly uncovers the dirty little secret of military service -- that, even at best, it divides and stresses the families of the men (and women) involved. At the same time, Rodrick uncovers the ridiculous aspects of military service, how careers can be made or broken by small acts, how men and women can die because of the smallest of mistakes. It's a story told from the outside looking in, but Rodrick gets to the core of the story, and his book is well written. Grade: B