Author: Kristin Hannah
Source: Borrowed from the library
Series: No
Rating: 4.5/5
In her bestselling novels Kristin Hannah has plumbed the depths of friendship, the loyalty of sisters, and the secrets mothers keep. Now, in her most emotionally powerful story yet, she explores the intimate landscape of a troubled marriage with this provocative and timely portrait of a husband and wife, in love and at war.
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.
At once a profoundly honest look at modern marriage and a dramatic exploration of the toll war takes on an ordinary American family, Home Front is a story of love, loss, heroism, honor, and ultimately, hope.
This book will eat you up and spit you out. I am not a crier but this book made me want to bawl my eyes out. I had to blink back tears a few times. I know people in the military and while reading this I could picture what they go through on a daily basis it was heart wrenching.
The story is a little slow to start. I was around thirty pages in and I was just not feeling it. Normally I am completely sucked into Hannah's books and I was having a hard time with this one but I stuck it out and it got unbelievably good. The story picked up and there was the division of POV's from Michael and Jolene.
As always Hannah chooses a difficult topic and creates a beautiful, intricate story that has me completely enthralled and I have to keep reading it. I always find this with her books, I get completely sucked in and have absolutely no clue on how much time has gone by.
Onto the characters. If you follow me on Goodreads you will have seen my status update about my feelings for Michael. I was not a fan of him until part two. I still do not fully forgive him for being a complete jerk but he did a complete turnaround and admitted to being selfish which really helped his case. Betsy is such a frustrating character, I know there is a lot going on around her but still she was a complete brat the entire time. Lulu was so frigging adorable. She does not understand what is going on around her but most of the time she is still this sweet bubbly little girl. Tami and Jolene are a package deal. They have been best friends since they joined the army. I loved both of them, Tami was such an amazing, strong character. Jolene overcame a lot of crap and at times she let it get to her but she would shake it off.
This is a pretty heavy book so prepare for water works. September 11th is a day that has affected everyone in some way. I was in school the day it happened and my parents explained it to me when I got home and made sure me and my sister understood what had happened. I feel sad when I think of what happened and what has been the aftermath of it.
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