At the opposite end of the plethora of WWII novels is the scarcity of books about the Vietnam war. Amazingly, here in the US, we just skim right over that war as though it’s the black sheep stepchild we’d rather forget, pushed in a corner, brushed under the rug, out of sight, out of mind. And then along comes books like The Fourteenth of September to remind us exactly why we never should forget that period in US history and why it changed an entire generation of American lives forever.

On September 14, 1969, Private First Class Judy Talton celebrates her nineteenth birthday by secretly joining the campus anti-Vietnam War movement. When her birthday is pulled from the draft lotto a few weeks later, she realizes that if she were a male, she would have been one of the first ones shipped out to Vietnam with very low survival expectancy. This realization propels her toward action that will alter her life forever.

This book is a stark, realistic look at the late 60s/early 70s, the anti-war movement, the emerging feminist movement and the anger that was sweeping across university campuses throughout the US. It is extremely well researched and very tightly written. What appears as hyperbole is actually just the facts of that time. It’s harsh and thorough and a must read, especially for Americans. It asks the question, will anyone remember? I do! I will never forget and my entire life has been based on what I learned from this war, from the atrocities committed by the US government during the entire era (50s-70s) and the horrors that linger long after the governments say the war is over.

I really enjoyed reading this book, the main character was great and I really felt for her and the events going on around her.

This is not a time period that I know much about. I admit that as I get older I’ve been guilty of thinking that young people have too many opinions of topics they know nothing about. (Please don’t hate me for saying that) Sometimes that’s probably true, but this book opened my eyes, my mind, and my heart. The writing was beautiful and the characters were engaging and I found myself drawn deep into this book. Thank you so much for the ARC. Do yourself a favor and read this book.

This novel brought back many memories from my childhood. I remember my parents discussing the Vietnam war during dinner each night. I enjoyed reading this story and seeing the war through a young woman’s eyes. The writing was very good and thought provoking.
Many thanks to She Writes Press and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you She Writes Press, Netgalley and Rita Dragonette for this e-ARC in return of my honest review.

Loved this book. I connected with the characters almost instantly. They all seem my friends at the very beginning and I could stay away from them for very long.

This is the story about young people, students who were unfortunate enough to live though the horror of Vietnam War. They all had to grow up too quickly and fight for their lives even before being drafted as that chance always loomed on every 19 yo. They were lost in this political debacle when they can be drafted but cannot vote.

This is a story about conscience. One might be part of organization but do not support the way this organization do things.

This book made me look deeper into Vietnam War and student's protests which I am forever grateful.

I had high hopes for this novel, as I lived through the tumultuous times described here. In fact, once I started the book, I realized that I was a sophomore in college in Boston at the same time as the main character, Judy, was a sophomore ini college in Illinois!. The school year of 1969-1970 was a unique moment in our history, encompassing as it did the draft lottery, major protests, and the killings at Kent State, The author did an excellent job at evoking the times - from the music to the ways people dressed to the widespread experimentation with drugs to the divergent attitudes on campus. Unfortunately, it seemed that nothing much happened until about halfway through the book.

Thank you very much to NetGalley and She Writes Press for a chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

3.25/5 STARS

The Fourteenth of September is a historical fiction novel and coming-of-age story. It follows Judy who is attending college in Chicago during the Vietnam War. Judy is enrolled in ROTC but starts to spend more time with an anti-war group of students and begins to see things from their point of view.

This was a powerful portrayal of what it was like for men during this time period. They truly were treated like a number —forced to go to war, but unable to vote on it.

I did enjoy this book overall. However, I didn’t connect to it as much as I thought I would. At times the story felt a little choppy and at times was hard to follow.

I would definitely recommend this if you like historical fiction and coming-of-age stories, however it was heavy at times so I have included trigger/content warnings.

CW/TW: wartime (Vietnam War), death of a friend, heavy drug use,

I remember. And I think Rita Dragonette's protag, Judy Talton, is pitch perfect. Not a good time for our country. But we sure didn't learn anything either.

Being European and born in the 80's, Vietnam isn't as evocative to me as it might be to some. To be perfectly honest, I don't even know much about the Vietnam War. So, knowing that I personally learn better from good historical fiction than I do from History books, I was excited to read The Fourteenth of September by Rita Dragonette.

In 1969, Judy Talton is a nursing student in a US Army scholarship. Despite pressure from her family - including a mother who had been a combat nurse during WWII and seems to see her involvement in the war effort as the ultimate goal and a veteran father - Judy feels curious about "the other side" and starts hanging out with anti-war youngsters. She has to keep her life a secret to both sides but eventually a decision will have to be made.

I found The Fourteenth of September very educational and very interesting in the sense that it didn't focus on the men at war but on a young woman and her fellow students. It wasn't so much about the horrors of war but the fear of being drafted and the courage and decisions one has to make to fight against it.
Judy is an observer and that makes us observers through her eyes. She doubts and so do we. She makes us wonder what we would do if we were in her place. It's all very real and very human.

Even though I haven't lived through those times, it seems like history keeps repeating itself and it's easy to draw parallels to more recent events.