A Novel with Thoughts and Ponderings

HOME FRONT

Author: Kristin Hannah ISBN: 9780312577209 2/2012 CONTEMPORARY Publisher: ST. MARTIN'S PRESS

Home Front by Kristin Hannah
All marriages have a breaking point. All families have wounds. All wars have a cost. . . .

Like many couples, Michael and Jolene Zarkades have to face the pressures of everyday life—children, careers, bills, chores—even as their twelve-year marriage is falling apart. Then an unexpected deployment sends Jolene deep into harm’s way and leaves defense attorney Michael at home, unaccustomed to being a single parent to their two girls. As a mother, it agonizes Jolene to leave her family, but as a solider she has always understood the true meaning of duty. In her letters home, she paints a rose-colored version of her life on the front lines, shielding her family from the truth. But war will change Jolene in ways that none of them could have foreseen. When tragedy strikes, Michael must face his darkest fear and fight a battle of his own—for everything that matters to his family.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS: Top Pick

HOME FRONT is one of the most emotionally-charged books I've read in a long, long time. One minute I was reading with a lump in my throat as this marriage and family completely fell apart, and in the next, I was frustrated because they couldn't seem to pick up the pieces to put their lives back together again. I can't tell you how many times my heart hurt for Jolene and all she and her family had to endure. After all the tears, the laughter, the angst and frustration, I ended this story with a better understanding of the emotional toll war takes on soldiers and their families, the hurdles they face, and how for some, a darker, more personal war begins once they arrive back home.

Post traumatic distress disorder is a difficult subject to address, yet Hannah does so with great sensitivity and understanding. Not only does HOME FRONT put a real face and shed light upon this debilitating side effect of war, but it's also an informational and enlightening read. While some former soldiers manage to cope with their physical and emotional scars, many others do not. Hannah artfully illustrates this contrast by weaving another soldier's story into the background of Jolene's, making you angry about all the what-ifs, the should-have-beens, missed chances, and knowing there's other vets out there needing help and not getting it, just like him.

Lest you think from this review this book is too heavy to bear, that's not true. Ms. Hannah nicely balances the darker elements with lighter ones, such as when Jolene's daughter Lulu comes into a scene, invoking her perky charm and wit as only innocent five-year-olds can do. I also enjoyed Michael's "Mr. Mom" moments after Jolene leaves for Iraq, as he attempts to manage one hormonally-challenged tweener and an exuberant, chatty preschooler—both of whom happen to be female—alone, as a single parent. It's quite an eye-opener for the angry and somewhat lost workaholic father who realizes after the fact, he took Jolene and a lot of other things in his marriage for granted.

This is my first Kristin Hannah read, and to say I'm impressed is an understatement. Thought provoking and a real page turner, HOME FRONT just scored a front and center slot on my keeper shelf. It's an excellent, true to life story that ends on the upbeat, I can't recommend it enough.

Nancy Davis

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