What was Linh's life like before he was drafted into the army?

Linh was a writer and a poet. He and his wife, Mai, were expecting their first child. At age 30, Linh did not want to back to war. However, he had been in the army for 4 years. He had tried to escape but had no choice. Linh knew he was much better suited to the life of a scholar than a soldier. Linh's father had been a professor of literature in Hanoi. But war changes everything. Linh knew that he may not ever see his wife or family again.