East Garrison

by: G. M. Weger

Published by: Synergy Books

Reviewed by Julie Failla Earhart

Tracy Dade, the protagonist in G. W. Weger debut novel East Garrison, is two weeks away from delivering her first child. Her hormones are wildly fluctuating, creating a woman her police-officer husband hardly recognizes, and escalating her self-doubts and depression.

Tracy has been estranged from her father, Jack, for many years. Jack suffers from post-traumatic stress after a tour in Vietnam–along with his obsession to the Nazis and Hitler, along with an intense addiction to marijuana. Jack lives in a van with a dog named Blondie on the abandoned base of California’s Fort Ord, a section called East Garrison. The buildings are dilapidated, the weeds have take over, the roads are rutted and ghostly figures of soldiers who were once stationed there haunt Jack. Along with the ghosts and Jack, an abundant wildlife has returned to the area, especially a mountain lion with a taste for human flesh.

The pending birth has Tracy anxious and eager to make contact with Jack to set things right. It’s the only way her conscious will let her think she could possibly be a good mother. She knows he’s out there; she just needs to find him. As the Braxton Hicks pains turn into full-scale labor, Tracy leaves her work and home to go in search of Jack. Warning though. Weger’s scenes of Tracy giving birth is graphic. It’s worth it though to watch Tracy protect her newborn.

A heart-stopping, well-written debut, East Garrison has two minor problems that keep it from boasting a five-star rating. First, Weger uses a lot of acronyms that I didn’t understand. Second, Tracy’s descent into postpartum depression seems to be an afterthought. The final chapter is confusing. On the positive side, the suspense builds well and the characters are superbly drawn.

Armchair Interviews says: A new writer to watch. Wow!

Author’s Web site: http://www.GMWeger.com