The Wasted Generation

"The Wasted Generation" by Owen Johnson is a compelling story about David Littledale, an American soldier with the French Foreign Legion, as he attempts to find his way in the tumultuous times of World War I. Turning thirty while resting in a calm Savoy courtyard full of fellow soldiers, David thinks about his past experiences, what made him want to fight, and if he will ever be ready to go back to the front. As distant sounds of war echo around him, he thinks deeply about his life, why he feels so alone, and what he really wants, showing how he changes and figures out the world as the book moves forward, all the while remembering life before the war.