In the Mouth of the Wolf

In the Mouth of the Wolf has a layered set of characters, each with his or her own personal questions, who confront their past as it bears on their present behavior if they are to survive. Three men in the novel have varying degrees of war trauma. Their wives display different ways of absorbing the war experience upon the men’s arrival home. The book principally encompasses the impact on marital relationships and other human connections when soldiers return from war. The story has its roots in the Vietnam War, but unlike the old stories that have all ready been told about Vietnam, this tale embraces homecoming for the main character, Memo Muir. A few scenes in Vietnam demonstrate the brutality that the war has on Memo’s mind. Two of Memo’s wartime buddies deal with their homecoming in different ways. Jack, a trauma surgeon in the war, was severely affected by his experience, though shows a significant amount of resilience. However, Chet completely shuts down and expresses his concerns and emotions by self-medicating with sundry drugs; thus, further slanting his perceptions that have been misshapen by his war experience, leading to dire consequences. In the Mouth of the Wolf comes from a Spanish saying, which means, you don’t have a chance, an apt metaphor for the characters’ struggles. Memo and his wife separate because of Memo’s war trauma, despite the deep love that imbues their souls. By the end of the book there are transformative experiences that bring about a surprise rapprochement between them.