Death Coming Up the Hill by Chris Crowe

Ashe is a 17 year old boy who is finishing up high school during the Vietnam war. His hippie, anti-war mom and pro-war, old fashioned dad are at war with one another as the war abroad wages. He meets a hippie girl from California and they fall absolutely in love. When infidelity rips his parents apart, Ashe realizes he needs to grow up and face reality: He may not be able to avoid the draft after all.

This is one of the most stunning books I have ever read. At the end, my breath was taken away and I started crying. It is absolutely beautiful. Written entirely in Haiku, the book contains one syllable for every soldier who had died in the Vietnam war in 1968. There is a good balance between the different political views on the war. This is a book I would want to see in a high school classroom whilst learning about the Vietnam war. As a future teacher, I want to teach this book. Ashe's story is compelling and gives a different twist on what we commonly think about the Vietnam war. Death Coming Up a Hill is just one of those books that sticks with you after you finish. 

Age recommendation: 14 and up

Content warnings:

• Political themes
• Discussion of infidelity