Book excerpt: Vietnam War veteran Timothy Patrick O'Rourke discovers the great paradox of war upon his return to the US in 1973: he has left the war, but the war has not left him. He carries with him a profound sense of unfinished business, and struggles to find meaning amid days packed with the responsibilities of a life he no longer understands. Even with the patient, loving support of his girlfriend, Cheryl, Timothy cannot escape the shadow of war. Then he meets the mysterious Hoffen. A voice of tragedy, wisdom and hope, Hoffen has traveled through the darkness and emerged on the other side. Maybe, just maybe, Timothy can do the same. Timothy's odyssey is every veteran's story to some degree, with alienation, hyper-vigilance, substance abuse, relationship problems, guilt, flashbacks, nightmares, and depression as his constant companions. Hope in the Shadows of War confronts the stark realization that a wound that never closes can't heal, and it proves that while trauma casts a long shadow for survivors, hope is a powerful antidote.