Violence and turmoil continue to haunt black soldiers returning from Vietnam as they try to normalize their lives. Sometimes relying on the help of each other, and sometimes relying on the skills they’ve gained in combat, most prevail.

In the novella, Something About Ann, a black Vietnam veteran and a Vietnamese woman fall in love in Cleveland, Ohio, not knowing they had crossed paths previously.

In the story, Lucky, a veteran, Raphael “Lucky” Holland, finds his niche as a stick-up artist. His luck runs out when he tries to rob a stranger whose past is darker than Holland’s. In a Sound Decision, veteran Marcus Glover restrains from fighting an antagonizer because of another confrontation that still haunts him.

In the story, The Education of Xavier Warfield, Xavier, a veteran, and promising pool hustler, find the most valuable lessons in life that aren’t learned in the pool room when he falls for a lady with a questionable past. With One Exception tells of an encounter that begins on shaky terms between a militant vet, Erving Robinson, and Harland Conrad, a white Vietnam veteran but evolves as Robinson helps Conrad fight his demons.

The Gift finds Myron Turner, a recluse and an empath, who is confronted by an older empath when he attempts to ignore his ability to connect with others. Leroy Casper enjoys The Good Life until a past associate barge in, shattering the peace he’s established and causing him to make drastic decisions. In The Tell, Elgin learns that a “tell” applies not only to poker but to life—— too late.