Here are seven reasons why people should pay attention to this story.
1. It Shows How Quickly Certainty Can Change
Many coming of age memoirs start with someone who thinks they know what life is all about.
John Hatch does too.
When he joins the Navy, he knows what to expect in terms of service, rules, and duty. But his view changes slowly as he goes through duty.
He learns about more of the world through his training and life on the USS Yorktown. This makes it harder to hold on to simple ideas.
John Hatch starts to ask questions he used to avoid. That change is what makes the book about coming of age.
2. Coming-of-Age Books Feel Stronger When Choices Have Consequences
As you get older, you do more than just learn things. It can mean making decisions without knowing how they will turn out.
John is under that much stress.
He is upset about the Vietnam War. At the same time, his personal life gets harder. Over time, he has more and more doubts about joining the military.
He can’t just follow the path in front of him because of this.
Like the best coming-of-age books, A.W.O.L. shows how one choice can change everything that happens after.
3. Love Gives This Story More Emotional Weight
Strong Memoir Books are often strong because of the people who write them.
Mary is a big part of John’s story. His girlfriend is pregnant, which makes it even harder for him to decide what to do.
John doesn’t just think about himself.
He must think of love, of duty, of parting, and of shame. This makes his internal struggle hit very close to home.
And every decision raises the emotional stakes. A.W.O.L. is more than a war story now.
4. The Vietnam Era Shapes Every Important Decision
Good coming-of-age memoirs that are good connect the author’s growth with what’s going on in the world around them.
John’s story takes place during the Vietnam War.
The US is changing. Young people are questioning old ideas about power, duty, and freedom. He, too, feels stress.
Long Beach, Hollywood, the military, and changes in people’s thinking about things all influence his journey.
The scenery never feels like it’s just there for the sake of it. It alters John Hatch’s self-concept.
5. Going A.W.O.L. Becomes the Story’s Turning Point
There has to be a time when the main character crosses a line in every great coming-of-age story
For John, that moment is leaving him without a leave.
But going doesn’t solve all of his problems right away.
It makes new ones instead.
Fear is after him. And so does not knowing. He needs to choose who to trust and where to go next.
This is where A.W.O.L. gets really heated.
People who like coming of age books will notice that big change. John can’t change back into the person he used to be.
6. The Best Coming of Age Books Allow Their Heroes to be Perfect
That’s not how author John Hatch shows his younger self.
That choice makes the story stronger.
He is scared, mad, guilty, lost, and makes mistakes. People may agree with him sometimes. Sometimes, they might question him.
Being honest is important.
Memoir books that are at their best don’t try to hide hard parts. They instead help readers understand how those times changed the author.
This makes John feel more like a real person than a polished one.
7. It Asks a Question That Still Matters Today
The setting is from a different time. Still, the main question seems to have always been there.
What do you do when your beliefs no longer line up with the path that was chosen for you?
John needs to choose what kind of person he wants to become.
Being in the military forces you to go in a certain direction. Love pulls someone else. Another disagreement comes from personal beliefs.
So, his journey is more than just a single event in history.
Sometimes, people who read Coming-of-Age Memoirs can relate to the choices he makes.
Why Readers of Coming-of-Age Memoirs Should Discover A.W.O.L.
A.W.O.L. by John Hatch blends a personal memory with a bigger time period in history.
The book is still mostly about a young man who is trying to figure out where he fits in the world.
That’s what makes it one of the good coming-of-age books. John has to deal with military pressure, war, love, duty, guilt, and not knowing what will happen next. But every challenge makes him think about what he really believes.
People looking for honest memoir books might appreciate how open it is. In the same way, people who like the Best Coming-of-Age Books might relate to its inner battle. The most important thing is that A.W.O.L. knows something important about growing up.
When certainty goes away, that’s when maturity can start. And asking yourself where you are going can help you figure out who you are.
