Friday, November 9, 2012
BOOK REVIEW: Home Front by Kristin Hannah
I listened to the audio book while in the car heading home
from a vacation trip. At times I had to turn it off because I was afraid my
tears might affect my driving. But, for me, tears means it is a good book. By
the end of the fifteen hours of listening, I felt Joleen and Michael Zarkades
and their girls Lulu and Betsy, were close friends of mine.
When we first meet the family, Joleen is a strong parent with
loving children. She and Michael have drifted apart over the years and he is
seldom home. He's a busy lawyer in Seattle and he blames part of his time away
from home on the fact that Joleen forced him to live in the suburbs, causing
him to take a ferry ride to work and back.
They marriage is hurting, but before they have a chance to
discuss it, Joleen, a National Guard helicopter pilot, is deployed to Iraq in
the heat of the fighting.
Michael is forced to care for the children, a job he has not
yet learned.
I enjoyed the way the characters changed due to the
situation. Michael had to grow and Joleen had to change into a full-time
warrior. The author gave us insights
into what it is like when one family member goes to war and leaves the other to
care for the home front. This is especially interesting because the United
States has been involved in fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. My stepson was
deployed for a year, leaving behind his family and three children, and I prayed
for his safety all the time he was gone. He returned physically whole, but has
memories that are sometimes unbearable.
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