Home Front tells us the story of a family, a family where the mother is a proud member of the Army Reserve. But it is so much more than that.  Jolene Zarkades had a troubling childhood, wrought with drinking and fighting. She loses her parents early in life and puts her guard up. Joining the Army Reserve is a salvation for her as is meeting her husband Michael. They seem to have it all, at least she thinks so. She has two beautiful daughters, a husband, a lovely home and she gets to fly helicopters with her best friend Tami. Things take a turn when Michael, after losing his father, tells her he doesn’t love her anymore. Reeling from that, she then is told she is being deployed to Iraq.  She’s always sugar-coated her place in any fighting that might happen if she was deployed and told the family that she’d only be flying dignitaries around but that’s not the case. She is right in the thick of fighting. What happens with her family and Jolene herself during the war and after are what gives this story such an emotional push.

Being a mother, I cannot imagine having to leave my children and think somewhere in your mind, that you might not be coming back to them again. Kristin Hannah imagined it all for me. I was in tears as Jolene had to write her goodbye letters to her family. As Michael has to defend a young man accused of killing his wife, he learns about post traumatic stress and we see how he comes to realize things about himself and Jolene. There are so many emotions running high in this book and I admit to crying at quite a few parts. We don’t think of the husbands, wives and children that are left at home while their parents, loved ones are off to war. We don’t really think about how hard it is to come back to the “real world” after being put in harm’s way and seeing all the atrocities that war brings. This book made me appreciate everyone put in those situations so much more.

Have some tissues ready while reading this lovely book. And go and thank a soldier and their family. They deserve it.