Summary

In the prologue of the novel, the narrator, who we later find out is Lieutenant Jack Porter of the U.S. Army, expresses that he has difficulty remembering small details of his time at war, and the memories quickly shift from concrete to abstract. He expresses the difficulty of conveying these memories to others, especially to those who have not been to war. Finally, the narrator laments that, despite the hardships, he does miss many aspects of the war, including a woman named Rana. The prologue ends with the narrator saying that when someone becomes confused or angry by his long-winded descriptions of war, they have in doing so have a closer understanding of the experience.

Chapter 1 begins with Jack’s alarm clock ringing in a windowless room where he and the other officers sleep. He meets his interpreter Qasim, nicknamed Snoop...