Home Front: A Novel

Before she became Jolene Zarkades, she was Jolene Larsen, a child of alcoholic parents and all-too familiar with domestic violence. At seventeen, she described families like hers as "battlefields, bloody and dark, littered with shrapnel and body parts." When her parents died in a car accident that year, she grabbed onto a life that would give her a sense of family, strength, and purpose. She became a helicopter pilot in the Air National Guard. For years, that life was only a part-time one, with occasional flights and drill weekends. Her husband Michael, a successful attorney in Seattle, had been the love of her life. But lately their lives seemed to be moving on alternate pathways. Between daily routines and the children--preteen Betsy and four-year-old Lulu--there wasn't much time or energy for the relationship. Their marriage seemed to be splintering, a piece at a time. Everything changes when Jolene is deployed to Iraq. She and best-friend Tami Flynn, who lives next door, are off together to put their training to use. Left behind, Michael struggles; he is angry at Jolene's choice to be in the military, yet feeling guilty about his feelings. He'd never really believed she would go to war. As a workaholic, he has submerged himself in work; now he is forced to manage on his own, and can't believe how difficult this single parenting has turned out to be. In an alternating narrative voice, we come to see how Michael and Jolene separately suffer and cope with how their lives have turned out. But just as Michael is finally getting the hang of parenting, a phone call turns his world upside down. What happens next to change everything for the two of them? How will Jolene's fate affect Betsy and Lulu, and how will she finally come to terms with who she is now? Home Front is a story about love, loss, heroism, honor, and hope. It's about coping, rediscovering who you are, and rebuilding the fragile bonds that have broken. The characters felt like real people, with vulnerabilities exacerbated by the horrific experiences they have faced. I felt compassion for Jolene and Tami, trained in the military life, relying on stoicism to see them through, while burying their feelings of fear and vulnerability. My heart went out especially to Jolene, who went from an embattled childhood to a war zone. These experiences rendered her especially susceptible to PTSD. Recovery would require something she has no experience with: the ability to ask for help and to allow those around her to give it. I also finally came to feel some empathy for Michael, who, in his own way, is also unable to reach out for help. A beautifully wrought tale that brought me to tears throughout, I highly recommend it for anyone who wants to delve into the emotional issues of families struggling with war, at home and in the field. Five stars.

Summary: Michael and Jolene's marriage is falling apart--they are not even sure they love each other anymore. Add to that a 12 year old moody almost teenager, and a 4 year old who likes to play kitten. Oh let's not forget that Jolene is a pilot for the Army National Guard unit, and they are deploying. Deployment and homecoming throw this family through changes and realizations that will break and mend your heart in a very meaningful way. Review: I am not a crier. I don't cry during movies, weddings, or even when my own husband deploys. I don't cry during a book. But I did cry in more than one place through this book by Kristin Hannah. I received mixed feedback for this book. I think a major problem a lot of people have is that a (military) family is not supposed to act this way! But I think focusing on that is missing the point entirely. A lot of people didn't like the characters. I for sure did not like Michael in the beginning, and thought the kids were bratty. I was less sympathetic to Jolene than I thought I would be. But this book isn't about fake happiness, but rather a candid look at the human condition: our feelings, thoughts, and actions. Michael was a jerk and a half in the beginning of the book, but he learned he was wrong and grew. Being a military spouse myself, I understood the feelings of abandonment, guilt associated with being the one left behind. Jolene was cold and fake--who learned the true value of her feelings. I recognized the need to keep your family from worrying about you. Betsy is a confused tween, learning to navigate the world, and Lulu is this bright eyed child who sees the world simply as only a child can. Those children were not any different from the children who are confused and do not understand what is going on around them. Each character was flawed but written in a manner that you cannot help but identify with. There are many layers to this book. You have the marriage that is falling apart, and both have to learn to give and take. Jolene and Michael cannot relate to their children, and it shows. Then there is the deployment on top of all of their already there problems. When tragedy strikes, everything comes to head, and they have to face their troubles. Hannah has crafted a story about a real family. The story evoked different feelings in the reader, from disgust to love and everything in between. The ending is happy, sad, and bittersweet--a good emotional roller coaster. If you are looking for the perfect military family--don't look here. We probably don't exist, anyways. But if you are looking for a sweet story about a genuine family wading through their struggles, then I highly recommend this book. Sex: a short non graphic sex scene Violence: Scenes of war, nightmares getting out of hand Rating: 5 out of 5 stars Quote: "He hadn't known [...]. The cost of war was here, in this room. It was families being torn apart and babies born without their parent at home and children forgetting their mother's face. It was soldiers-- some of them his age and others young enough to be his sons-- who would come home wounded ... or not come home at all."

This book got me from the first page. The characters were so real and I went from page to page living life with them. Every word held truth in it and I loved it!

Good writer

Great book

I liked everything about this book ..the author’s deep understanding of human character and the challenges women face when they try to live their dreams and choose careers dominated by men. All Kristin’s books have inspired me so much and helped understand how privileged we are right now and relate with the tragedies many people faced in the past in wars etc and many continue to face in the recent wars in Russia ,Ukraine,Israel,Palestine..seems that the modern world has not really been as progressive and humane as we would have wished it to be

Another brilliant book. What a writer. I have read four of her books in the last 3 months and I cannot wait to get another. The Four Winds is a must read, how grateful we must be for our wonderful lives.