Willy Vlautin is possibly better known in some circles as the frontman of the band Richmond Fontaine than he is as a novelist, but he has written 3 previous, highly acclaimed novels. This is his fourth, and he seems to have gone up a notch in terms of the acclaim showered upon him. This is a State Of The Nation novel, examining the state of inequality in America, how the country treats damaged returning veterans from the Iraq war, and the struggle to pay for basic health care in that country. The Free tells the interwoven stories of three characters: Leroy, a wounded Iraq vet who escapes his pain by imagining himself in an adventure story, Freddie, a night watchman at the facility where Leroy is living, and Pauline, a nurse at the hospital where Leroy is transferred to when his suicide attempt fails. It's a grim but powerful book, but to quote from the blurb: 'Vlautin captures how it is the small acts of kindness which can make a difference between life and death, between imprisonment and liberty'.