Reviews

many thanks to scribner and netgalley for allowing me to read this early! told from the perspective of a mother as a bedtime story for her son, soldier sailor is a visceral and propulsive deep dive into the horrors and joys of motherhood. our narrator, soldier, is feeling unmoored and unlike herself, receiving little to no support from her husband as he works longer and longer hours, leaving her to grapple with the early days of motherhood. very reminiscent of a quote from arlington park by rachel cusk when talking about those small acts in a relationship that lead to resentment - “they take a woman, and little by little they murder her.” there are some incredibly intense scenes in here - this one is right up there for me with liars by sarah manguso, in terms of how deeply i was feeling my reactions to this book. kilroy does not hold back with her honesty here, which could be uncomfortable for some but i adored how raw the emotions were. the love soldier has for her son is palpable even throughout the difficulties they face together, and those difficulties are rendered in a beautiful, almost stream of consciousness style. i don’t see this being for everyone but if you could handle splinters by leslie jamison, my work by olga ravn, and a life’s work by rachel cusk i think this is right in their ranks!

“What struck me as the starkest contradiction of all was that having navigated this much of life - the volatility of youth, of love and loss, the agony and the ecstasy - the closest I had come to losing my mind was during the period known as settling down.”

luufranz's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

libraryofanisha's review against another edition

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emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

linnealofgren's review against another edition

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dark sad medium-paced

4.0

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