Plain of Jars

<DIV><P>In the opening story of Geary Hobson&rsquo;s riveting new collection, <I>Plain of Jars</I>, a young private confides to his friend that he&rsquo;s trying to leave the Marine Corps. &ldquo;I am not doing this just because I find the Marine Corps too tough,&rdquo; Warren Needham says, but because violence is contradictory to his faith. The story&rsquo;s surprising climax, however, reveals a different side of Needham&rsquo;s contradictory nature. It&rsquo;s this acute understanding of conflict that characterizes <I>Plain of Jars</I>, a book populated by bullies, men in combat, abusive spouses, and Native Americans seeking a sense of personal identity in an environment where conformity is law. The U.S. Marine Corps sets the stage for a number of these stories, whose protagonists combat racism, post-traumatic stress syndrome, and the looming reality of the Vietnam War. With pitch perfect dialogue and a sense of the unexpected, <I>Plain of Jars </I>tests the depths of complex lives.</P></DIV>