"Sunrise Over Fallujah" by Walter Dean Myers

Sunrise Over Fallujah by Walter Dean Myers follows the story of Robin Perry, a young American man who enlists in the army in an effort to "do something" and "stand up for [his] country" after the tragedies of 9/11. During his deployment in Iraq, Robin works in the Civilian Affairs unit where he befriends fellow soldiers, Marla Kennedy and Charles "Jonesy" Jones, who in turn, give him the nickname, "Birdy." In the Civilian Affairs unit, the intended mission is to keep the Iraqi civilians safe and to assist them in stabilizing their country so that a new, better, democratic government can be established. As the war continues on, growing even more complex, what is asked of these soldiers shifts and changes so frequently and unclearly that the men and women working in the CA unit are left feeling confused, frustrated, and terrified.

This text is a companion book to the award-winning novel, Fallen Angels (1988), which followed the story of Robin's uncle, Richie Perry, as he eagerly joined the army straight out of high school to fight in the Vietnam War. In Sunrise Over Fallujah, Myers includes letters that Robin writes to his "Uncle Richie" in which he shares his experience of war with someone who can relate. While the two novels focus on different wars in which different generations are fighting, Myers highlights many of the same themes in both novels, suggesting that war is both universal and timeless in terms of its horrors and the devastating impacts it leaves on young people and their families.

I have to admit that in first reading this book, it was somewhat difficult for me to get into it and I found myself struggling to pay attention to what I was reading. For me personally, I think it was its narrative style that I was not connecting with strongly. I liked Robin as a character just fine (although he certainly grew on me the more I read), but Robin as a narrator was a little disappointing and boring. He just didn't seem like that great of a storyteller. I also think it was hard for me to really get interested in the novel because the was not a ton of investment or exploration into the other characters. While it makes sense that readers get to know the characters well at the same rate that Robin does, I still found it to be a bit of a downfall for the book. Furthermore, I worry that these factors that made it difficult for me to get interested would also prevent students from getting into the novel. As Kelly mentioned in class, teaching kids books that they don't find interesting is really just a headache for everyone involved.

That being said, I did enjoy the book by the time I finished it (it even brought on a couple of tears for me), so I think as teachers, we would just have to really emphasize to our students that they should stick it out. I think the novel would be particularly effective for older high school students, who maybe can commit more to finishing a novel once they begin it. I really enjoyed the novel's exploration of how truly confusing this war was. Because it is such a relatively recent part of history, I think students will appreciate some of the explanations and viewpoints on the Iraq War that the novel provides.

Some of the themes that I think would be especially worthwhile to look at with students:
1. Realities of War vs. Romanticized Notions of War- Robin often compares the expectations he and others had previously held about the war up against the actual events and circumstances that they encounter. Also, he often comments on the headlines and news coverage that does not truly or wholly reflect what is going on in Iraq.
2. Confusion of War- Frequently, Robin will mention that the thing that is getting to him and his fellow soldiers is that they do not know who exactly they are fighting against or how they should be fighting. Because he is part of the Civilian Affairs unit, this question of "Who is the real enemy?" comes up repeatedly as these soldiers try to help civilians but still remain out of harm's way.
3. "Winning" and "Losing" in War- Going along with the previous theme a bit, Robin often wonders what the point is to what they're doing in Iraq and if there are any real "winners" or "losers" in war.
4. Heroism- This is definitely a significant theme to discuss with students. I would ask students to give a definition for "hero," taking into consideration the way that Robin uses the word in the novel. I would also want students to identify which characters they view as heroic based on their definitions. Another aspect to this theme is the way that people keep up appearances of heroism.
5. Humanity- As part of the Civilian Affairs unit, Robin and his fellow soldiers try to do right by the Iraqi people and make positive change. Some soldiers jump to the defensive and show a willingness to kill whoever risks their lives, while others take a chance and trust the Iraqi people in hopes that they can extend compassion and humanity, ultimately carrying out their intended mission.