A review by liberrydude
Full Measure by T. Jefferson Parker

4.0

This book is due out in September, 2014. A Marine, Patrick, returns home to Fallbrook, CA (where Parker now lives) after a tough deployment in Afghanistan to find his family home almost in ruins-the avocado groves were destroyed by fire. His home still stands thanks to his older brother, Ted, who is a bit of a screw-up. This is more a book about brothers than a book about transition from war to peace. Parker does a good job of painting the canvas about service and camaraderie in the Marines. It has a few minor errors in Marine-speak. I like how Patrick is a strong guy who takes charge and is not portrayed as a helpless victim with PTSD. Yes, he has issues with loud noises and gets into a fight or two but he is a selfless guy who is always trying to do right. He's at a decision point in his life. Should he stay in the Marines or go after his dream of buying a boat and taking fishermen out off Point Loma. But then he has to stop everything and help his dad with the avocado farm. They are in danger of losing it. Plus his brother Ted must be bi-polar and is always making wrong decisions and getting into the wrong crowd. There's a grain of truth in this story as Parker focuses on a family of white supremacists that have returned to Fallbrook-based on the real Metzger family. We have elements of love as well as terrorism in this story. I'm wondering if it will be a stand-alone book or if we have another series like Charlie Hood on its way. It was a good read.