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3.86 AVERAGE
3.86 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
This one has been showing up on a lot of lists for new books and it looked good, so I picked it up at my library. (I kinda wished I had gotten the audio version, but was already well into reading it when that thought occurred and just stuck with print.) It was an honest, eye-opening, unvarnished picture of what it can really be like to be an Army wife. The author pulls no punches and does not try to sugarcoat her experiences as her boyfriend-turned-husband decides in his twenties that he wants to join the military, which was nothing that she expected their life would include. She details painfully the emotions that go along with giving up her career and life in New York to move to a small town in Georgia where she knows no one and, at first, isn’t even able to get around since she doesn’t have a license and can’t drive a car. Throughout the book, we feel all of her ups and downs in her relationships with herself, her husband, and the group of women (the titled “Wives”) who become her Army family.
One thing that frustrated me during much of the book was that it seemed so clear that the author was suffering from debilitating anxiety. And during a part of that time, she was under the care of a doctor whom she describes as attentive and caring, but never did it seem like anyone identified this condition in her or did anything about it. She herself understands that she has anxiety and has some mechanisms for dealing with it, but even with all of that, I was so frustrated to read about her struggles and was contemplating yelling at the book “GET HELP!” I’m glad she finally did, but feel awful that it took so long for her to get there.
One thing that frustrated me during much of the book was that it seemed so clear that the author was suffering from debilitating anxiety. And during a part of that time, she was under the care of a doctor whom she describes as attentive and caring, but never did it seem like anyone identified this condition in her or did anything about it. She herself understands that she has anxiety and has some mechanisms for dealing with it, but even with all of that, I was so frustrated to read about her struggles and was contemplating yelling at the book “GET HELP!” I’m glad she finally did, but feel awful that it took so long for her to get there.
A deeply moving look at what it’s like to be an army wife. I loved that Simone wrote about what it’s really like. Not the rhetoric or what I’ve seen/heard before. Coming to the military in a different way means Simone has a different point of view.
4.5/5
I was surprised the rating for this book was so low but realized it’s because a lot of military wives are giving it 1 stars because they think Simone is anti-American solely because she is liberal and at times in the book questions the morals of war(but how does one not). Honestly it gave me a lot more sympathy for military spouses than I ever had before. Really actually frustrating reading the comments, it was a really interesting read and especially after reading SH5 reiterates how war leaves such an unrepairable emotional toll on so many. Even if a spouse has had a different experience this is Simone’s story, and it’s still valid even if it’s not the same for all.
I was surprised the rating for this book was so low but realized it’s because a lot of military wives are giving it 1 stars because they think Simone is anti-American solely because she is liberal and at times in the book questions the morals of war(but how does one not). Honestly it gave me a lot more sympathy for military spouses than I ever had before. Really actually frustrating reading the comments, it was a really interesting read and especially after reading SH5 reiterates how war leaves such an unrepairable emotional toll on so many. Even if a spouse has had a different experience this is Simone’s story, and it’s still valid even if it’s not the same for all.
emotional
informative
reflective
tense
medium-paced
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
An amazing Memoir and a unique look at the lives of the wives left behind the elite soldiers.
challenging
informative
sad
medium-paced
I was actually a little afraid to read this feeling that it would bring back the emotions and memories of my husband's deployments. While it did, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would. This was a glimpse into an Army life I am removed from by time and my job. I did enjoy learning more about he unit her husband was in and her decision to leave her life in NYC to move to Columbus GA. Love wins. I am happy for this author to get her memories down and to go on to do great things.
medium-paced
I don’t rate memoirs, because how can i rate the story if another persons life?
As for the writing, I throughly enjoyed it. Simone truly brought me in and even though I have no experience or interest in the army or anything connected to it, I wanted to hear more about her experience. I’m grateful for the honestly she put on the pages.
As Megan Moroney sang- God Bless the Girls. 🫶🏼
As for the writing, I throughly enjoyed it. Simone truly brought me in and even though I have no experience or interest in the army or anything connected to it, I wanted to hear more about her experience. I’m grateful for the honestly she put on the pages.
As Megan Moroney sang- God Bless the Girls. 🫶🏼
emotional
reflective
medium-paced