Idealism collides with reality

Wild World by Peter S. Rush is the story of a young man reaching maturity during the turbulent times after the Kent State University shootings in 1970 that left four students dead and nine wounded.

As the novel starts, Steven Logan, a senior Brown University pre-law student and lacrosse player, learns of the Kent State massacre. Rush plunges the reader, Steven, and his friends into those scary times of anger, confusion, and helplessness. The author does an excellent job of depicting the hatred and unrest of the period.

Steven and his girlfriend, Roxy, and other students struggle to make sense of the killings. They participate in vigils, protests, and marches, but Steven's anguish pushes him dig deeper. He wants to change the system, which is seemingly bent on brutality and violence.

A campus recruiting encounter with a New York City police officer gives Steven personal direction and a hands-on way to make a difference. The cop tells Steven how New York is working to clean up corruption, and one officer can be a catalyst for change.

The officer tells Steven, "If I am not there, things go on as usual. When I'm there, they know that a conscience exists, and that the law must be upheld. Sunlight is the best disinfectant. If it is out of sight, no one cares, but once we show it to people, things happen. What do you plan to do with your life?"

Much to the dismay of Roxy and his friends, Steven decides to put law school on the shelf and apply to the Providence Police Department. In those days, a college degree was detrimental to becoming a police officer. Steven faces abuse from commanding officers and cops alike for his education.

Still, Steven survives the police academy and graduates to a patrol car assignment. On the street, he witnesses police brutality and corruption at all levels of the department. When he challenges the status quo, he's assaulted by his fellow officers and given dangerous assignments that put him in harm's way.

Clinging to his idealism and showing courage, he refuses to go along to get along and vows to right the wrongs of his brothers in blue. The novel is taut with tension as it speeds to the conclusion.

I rate Wild World three out of five stars simply because the story is familiar. The novel is reminiscent of Frank Serpico, the legendary cop who battled police corruption in New York City and brought it to light. Wild World didn't put enough distance between its story and Serpico's for me.

Still, I found the author's depiction of the early 1970s and police work resonant, and I did feel transported back to those stormy days. Kudos to the author for cleverly naming his chapters after song titles or lyrics of the period. For those who enjoy historical novels and reading about the late 1960s and early 1970s, Wild World is a pleasurable bit of time travel.