On Tripoli Circle — Pat Cunningham Devoto

Aggie's world is defined by the length and breadth of Tripoli Circle, with its sturdy houses and solid families who have willingly given their sons to one war and then another and then another. Aggie's father, Daniel, is a hero. Five years after coming home from World War II, he is still drowning in its memories. The more fragile he becomes, the more Sara, Aggie's mother, is desperate to create a safe haven for their four children. To distract them from Daniel's bizarre behavior, Sara weaves such comical, outlandish tales that the children are hard-pressed to distinguish the real from the imagined. When the body of a neighbor is discovered in the house across the street, it is like unearthing the end of a string they are powerless to refrain from pulling until little by little it is impossible for any of them -- Sara, Daniel, Aggie, the whole of Tripoli Circle -- to ignore the shattering truth. A tale of war's aftermath and the toll it takes â€"as relevant today as it was those many years ago.