Not bad, enjoyed reading it. Had I not read his first books I might have liked this better. "Laguna Heat,"" Little Saigon" and "Pacific Beat" were just so exquisitely constructed and written, and this one doesn't measure up to them. ( )

When Patrick Norris returns to Fallbrook, California from deployment in Afghanistan, he puts aside his dream of captaining a fishing boat to help his family recover from the disastrous fire that destroyed much of their avocado farm. Brother Ted helps, too, but he can never seem to do things right, and, although he yearns for his father’s approval, he never manages to earn it. Patrick keeps trying to save his brother from himself but, in the end, some things simply aren’t fixable and Ted’s choices aren’t always the best.

Revolving around family dynamics and the oftentimes-challenging choices that confront families each day, this narrative highlights the difficulties inherent in a return to civilian life. Although the story is predictable at times, it shines a light on the complicated relationships within families. Well written and captivating, it’s a tale that readers won’t soon forget.

Recommended. ( )

T. Jefferson Parker has been writing crime fiction for three decades now, and he has done it consistently well. But, perhaps because his reputation as a crime writer is already as solid as it gets, he offers something very different to his fans this time around. Full Measure is a character-driven literary novel that, according to fellow novelist Stephen Harrigan, sees Parker “playing in the same league as John Steinbeck.” While that may be a little strong, do not make the mistake of underestimating this novel because it truly is a fine piece of writing.

When Marine Patrick Norris returns from Afghanistan, he believes that his fighting days are over. Little does he suspect that he is coming home just in time to help defend his family in a very personal battle that seems almost certain to overwhelm them. The California avocado farm the family has operated as long as Patrick can remember has been overrun by a fast-moving wildfire. Now, only a few trees are standing – and no one knows how many of them are still alive. And because the remaining trees may never produce avocados again, Norris Farms is unable to get the bank financing needed to carry it through the lean times just ahead. If the family can hold on long enough to prove that most of the standing trees are still alive, the farm has a slim chance of surviving. But hanging on will not be easy – and it cannot be done without Patrick’s help.

Ted, Patrick’s older brother has long been the weakest link in the family chain, and now his mental instability and carelessness around the trees are as big a threat to the farm as the rogue storm that appears to be headed San Diego’s way. Ted thinks little of himself, but he idolizes his younger brother and considers Patrick to be a true American hero, someone who has upheld the honor of his family and his country. Patrick is everything that Ted wants to be but knows he never can be – and it shames him.

Ready or not, Patrick Norris is in the fight of his life now. He wants to save his brother from himself, he will do whatever it takes to save the avocado farm, and his struggle with demons of his own is about to doom his relationship with the young woman he deeply loves.

Full Measure is the story of a family pushed to the brink by Mother Nature. It is about loyalty and duty to family, and the way that two very different brothers respond to the immense pressures of the situation. It is about life in all its beauty and all its ugliness. ( )

T. Jefferson Parker has won three Edgar Awards for a reason—he’s a great writer. With FULL MEASURE, he steps away from more traditional crime fiction and into the mainstream literary genre. The result is this wonderful book. Want to know what a character-driven story feels like? Read FULL MEASURE. Characters that will linger with you for a long time. Highly recommended.

DP Lyle, award-winning author of the Samantha Cody and Dub Walker thriller series ( )

Full Measure is a great story of military and farming culture in contemporary Southern California. Patrick Norris returns from duty as a Marine in Afghanistan and musters out of service at Camp Pendleton. With very little time to make the transition to civilian life, Patrick returns home to his family’s avocado farm in Fallbrook that has been decimated by a fire. From warrior to farmer is a move eased somewhat by familiarity with surroundings and acquaintances. But, of course, Pat’s perspective has changed permanently because of war and he has plans for the future that do not include avocado farming.

In the early pages of the novel, this scenario looks the well-worn plot of many post war novels. Soon readers realize that familiar themes of readjusting and reviving old complicated family relationships take on an unmistakable post-911 chronic tension. Pat and his Marine buddies have had experiences in a war that at first glance seems like those of the Vietnam veterans in the 1970s. T. Jefferson Parker captures the difference in an excellent portrait of the strength of Pat’s character as he recalls the killing, death, loss, and haunting emotions of duty symbolized by the random destruction of improvised explosive devices. Patrolling the desert through ancient cultures he wondered why some Marines were blown up and he survived, Pat has to conclude that coming home from Afghanistan is a matter of senseless luck. “Thank you for your service.” Right.

In addition to the wonderful description of contemporary war and its aftermath, Parker pays homage to Nobel Prize winning author, John Steinbeck by exploring themes of father and son legacies with designated favorite son and bad seed, generational separation from agricultural life, uneasy acculturation of racial groups, violent civilian factions gaining strength in periods of reconstruction, political opportunism, dreams lost by some individuals and found by others, and the reaching of a separate uneasy peace for some and self-destruction by others. The full measure of a person is sufficient for some characters to find a place in the culture good or bad and for others to fall short on all accounts.

This is an excellent novel, and you can see that it brings to mind Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men and East of Eden. Like the Nobel Prize winner, the realism of the portrayal of Pat’s war experiences and determined adjustment to civilian life set the stage for the beautifully written scenes of the biblical/psychological interaction of the characters, personal meaning/acceptance in an apparently chaotic period of history. ( )