Love and War in California by Oakley Hall
Adult New Book Display - Hall
The story begins during Payton Daltry’s college years in San Diego at the start of WWII and follows his life through to late middle age. Payton’s formative years abound with contradictions. He works at a socialist newspaper in spite of the personal costs, which include social ostracism and physical intimidation. At the same time, he longs to return to the upper-lass life his family lived before the depression. Payton desperately wants the approval of his father but he antagonizes him at every opportunity. He believes an unfounded rumor about his older brother whom he has always looked up to and admired. Of course, when he falls in love, Payton can’t decide how to proceed. All these relationships are left unresolved when he ships out to fight in France.
Oakley Hall’s prose evokes a visceral sense of place and time. He also populates the story with unforgettable minor characters. The fictional story is complemented by references to real people and actual events. Errol Flynn and Jack Warner are two “real life” characters who make appearances in the book. The details of the liberation of concentration camps and the waning days of fighting in Europe also provide a realistic backdrop to the story.