I know very little about the Vietnam War. I saw this title available for request and figured it would be a good way to learn about life during the war from a female's perspective. It ended up being the perfect choice, because I got some insight into the war through letters and interview excerpts from the soldiers themselves, but there was a heavy focus too on what life was like for the wives they left at home.

I liked the personal aspect of this book. It was heartfelt and gave me a deep appreciation for our veterans. I was so shocked to learn that these men faced such horrible taunts and abuse from the public once they returned home, especially because most of them were drafted and did not willingly go into the service.

I struggled a bit with the ending because of the way the author inserted the profiles of the women that he was unable to include in the book. On the one hand, I absolutely understand his desire to include their stories, even though it didn't fit the narrative of the book. After giving their time to be interviewed for the book, especially considering the emotional toll that must have been present for many of these women and men as they retold stories from such a difficult time, it would be hard to not include them and honor them in some way. And I enjoyed their stories as much as the others. It just seemed odd to have them tacked on at the end and it was also difficult to follow along at that point. I felt for sure that some of the stories were familiar and had actually been included in the book, but because it is not possible to leaf through an ebook, I wasn't able to go back and see if my suspicions were correct.

I love the pictures at the end and they were such a nice inclusion. I only wish they had been sprinkled in throughout the text so that we could see each individual picture alongside the words and stories of the people pictured in them. It would have been much more effective for me.

Overall, fantastic book. I appreciate having the opportunity to read an review it.

The author did a great job of writing about a period in our history that many do not know too much about. I found myself wanting to learn more after reading this book and spent time researching online. Definitely recommend this one!