Never Fade Away Book Report

Never Fade Away is an academic novel written by William Hart. It is an emotional chronicle of an unusual relation between a teacher and his student, and the trials and tribulations they face personally, professionally and academically. It is a story of friendship, self-discovery, self-understanding and acceptance told through the journal entries of two main characters; John Goddard and Tina Le.
John Goddard is an ESL writing teacher at a California State University and a Vietnam War veteran who is dealing with the daily hauntings of his ill-fated war encounters. It isn’t until he encounters one of his students, Tina Le, that he truly comes alive. Tina is a Vietnamese immigrant to California and a student in John Goddard’s freshmen ESL course who is also struggling with daily hauntings of the unfortunate circumstances she endured while trying to escape Vietnam. She is having a difficult time adjusting to her new culture and surroundings and Goddard takes it upon himself to help her develop academically and live up to her full potential. Through this relationship both Goddard and Le begin to learn more about themselves and overcoming some of their darkest secrets and fears. …show more content…
I find this to be unique because most books I have read that are written in this way tend to lack depth and character. This novel definitely does not lack these things, it is a story of a frustrated teacher that is dedicated to his students and their success despite the odds. It is a story about the use and abuse of power in higher education, where tenured faculty members have all the power and untenured professors have none. This is a story about great courage, fighting through the demons of Vietnam, learning compassion and developing friendship. I truly enjoyed this novel and would recommend it to my family, friends and colleagues. I would also recommend that current educators read