The moviegoers who enjoyed Casino will quickly recognize that Taciturn starts where Casino ended. It’s doubtful if Author Bob Miller knows Mr. Joe Pesci who played the character named Nicky in the movie, but Miller certainly knew the late Mr. Tony Spalatro who Joe’s character was based on. It’s amazing how Miller entertained, informed and held one’s attention with a hero who doesn’t have to outthink and outdrive ten CIA mercenaries in black SUVs or go hand to hand with an endless number of kung-fu masters who fail to even mess-up our hero’s hair. Follow three generations of men through the years as they each face their own sets of problems. Grandfather Benjamin Walker had a pretty good, but tough, life in the wild West in the late 1800’s. Little did he know what kind of life his grandson would face after returning from Vietnam in 1970. Miller zaps the reader back to a time when the air was fresh and clean. You’ll walk along side a covered wagon with a young woman who was filled with child and come face to face with what his ancestors had to endure. "Walker stepped in close. If he were right, Ledge wouldn’t throw a punch. He’d take a defensive posture and hope to get lucky countering. Walker faked a jab to the stomach; when Ledge brought his hand down to block, Walker hit him hard in the eye. The thwack of the punch sounded sickening. Ledge stumbled backward and would have hit the ground if two men hadn’t caught him and pushed him back toward the fight. Walker gave the big man time to regain control of himself." Benjamin Walker never turned away from a fight, always stood up for what he thought was right, and dearly loved that young woman, Sarah.
Father Abraham Walker and his wife were successful ranchers in Nevada with Benjamin and Sarah. Old age took Benjamin, but ten years later ‘the fever’ took Sarah and eventually all the cattle and family dog as well. Betty and Abraham moved to Las Vegas where he worked in "collections" for one of the casinos. Unlike his dad, Abraham preferred to use reason rather than his fists. "Tony and Abraham paid a visit to Mr. Raines’ house an hour later. Abraham explained the reason for the visit, and Raines wasn’t surprised. He invited them in and asked them to wait while he retrieved the cash. Soon Abraham had fifteen hundred dollars in hand…" Abraham Walker was no wimp, spoke his mind carefully and was the love of Betty’s life.
Ben Walker served his country in the military as did his father and grandfather. But returning from Vietnam was no picnic. He got a job flying for the mob in Las Vegas and was enjoying life until he returned home one day to find his wife shot to death. He sought the help of an army buddy to avenge her death. "Ben, Red and Sarge started down the old roadbed in a gray Ram Charger laden with equipment that was used to dispense punishment and death. Ben felt better now that he had talked with Red and forged a plan of action…" The intertwined message about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is well stated and easy for the non-combat person to grasp. There are about as many theories and explanations for PTSD as there are patients, but Miller somehow summed it up effortlessly in this little verse. Remedy I met my therapist in her little room, it was not much bigger than Grant’s Tomb, She said what she thunk about me staying drunk, She said as a remedy, that as of that day, I would think as she and she would think as me. I ended-up as happy as can be, but having to squat to pee, While my therapist is in the park, all alone, long after dark, Sitting under a tree with a bottle of Port and PTSD. - Bob Miller Ben is very much like the grandfather he never knew…loyal, aggressive, and a loving husband. However, Vietnam had a long-term effect on the rest of his life. Taciturn © 2004-05 by Bob Miller. |
