Linda

This story definitely ties the rest together. Tim explains that telling his stories about the war is meant to help him coup with his memories and it keeps his friends and loved ones alive. "stories keep the dead alive" (page226 second paragraph) Linda was Tim's first experience with death or that is what he claims in the book. In fact I think Linda's story may not be a "true" one. Linda may be a symbol of what Tim does to remember those people he lost and how he keeps them alive. Linda is there to explain it to the reader. One conversation that takes place between Linda and Tim that I found especially moving was this; "Well right now I'm not dead. but when I am it's like...I don't know, I guess it's like being inside a book that no body's reading" " An old one. It's up on a library shelf so you're safe and everything but the book hasn't been checked out for a long long time. All you can do is wait. Just hope somebody'll pick it up and start reading."