This Veterans Day, the novel If You Walk Long Enough, is a timely gift for adults that lived through the Vietnam War, millennials that never knew the conflict, veterans, and fans of the historical novel. The holiday falls on Thursday, November 11.

Two soldiers, one Black and one white, return to their families in South Carolina and find home isn’t home any more. Ghosts trail them. Love turns upside down. Despite moral fatigue, they must grapple with finding respect, reconciliation, and letting go.

Additionally, two collections of short stories also offer tales of Vietnam–If the Creek Don’t Rise and Washed in the Water. They offer slice-of-life stories focused on the ravages of war that do not end on the battlefield. Like the conflict, these two collections snatch at the gritty and the sublime among common folk.

These three books are available at public libraries and local bookstores. The books, together or separately, make excellent gifts for readers.