Review: 'Consequence,' by Eric Fair

Last summer, Americans witnessed the Iraq war from the scope of sniper Chris Kyle.

In the movie "American Sniper," director Clint Eastwood depicted Kyle as a superhero with otherworldly skills, fighting evil and pursuing just causes. When Kyle returned from war, he shrugged off post-traumatic stress by watching television for a few weeks. Then he became a noble citizen until his life was taken in a sad act of violence.

By contrast, Eric Fair, the author of "Consequence: A Memoir" comes across as an average guy. "Consequence" begins with a brief tour of Eric Fair's life before he became a civilian contractor interrogating Iraqi detainees at Abu Ghraib prison. We travel with him through high school and two colleges, into the Army and during a brief stint as a police officer in Bethlehem, Pa. We learn about a health issue that derailed his law enforcement career, and we understand why he was motivated to answer the call to service.

This background invites readers to empathize with Fair as he recounts his war experience. It facilitates a less judgmental conversation between those who supported the war and those who didn't. As Fair begins the service that will eventually lead him to do some honorable things and some deplorable things, he is a fully developed character whose motivations and limitations are understandable, even when they're not justifiable.

Fair recounts his experience in three acts — before, during and after the war. The narrative is advanced by sparse, clear prose that often achieves the efficiency and elegance of poetry. When he arrives in Iraq, he describes his naiveté and the mental state of the detainees in this way:

"I stand near the barbed-wire fence. Prisoners gather and stare. The crowd grows. A young soldier in a guard tower says, 'Careful, sir, I only have a few rounds.' I walk away. There is a single incoming mortar round. The prisoners don't run."

"Consequence" describes life as a civilian contractor. His employer is presented as disorganized, less than forthcoming and not prepared to keep its employees safe. Fair notes instances where colleagues occupied positions well above their training and background. There is enough chaos in the interaction between contractors and military personnel to merit concern about our increasing reliance on private defense companies.

The greatest strength of "Consequence" threatens to become a weakness. The lean, unadorned style that worked well for recounting war zone horrors feels too neutral and detached when Fair returns home to describe how war changed him and the effect it had on his health and marriage. It's legitimate to wonder if Fair wrote the third act too soon, but this small concern doesn't detract from an otherwise impressive debut.

As we hold national conversations on how best to respond to terrorism, "Consequence" provides essential information about the real and personal costs of war for those who wage it. It is an important book, destined for inclusion among other thoughtful examinations of what we did in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Michael Kleber-Diggs is a poet and essayist. He lives in St. Paul.

Consequence
By: Eric Fair.
Publisher: Henry Holt, 240 pages, $26.