★★★☆☆
I’m familiar with Kristin Hannah’s emotionally charged storytelling style through watching Firefly Lane and reading some of her other works, such as Winter’s Garden. When downloading Home Front, which shows the impact of military service on soldiers and their families, from Apple Books, I had a hunch I needed to be prepared for an array of feels. This theory proved to be spot on.
With its portrait of a stoic woman enduring terrible circumstances, Home Front is a difficult read. Just as her marriage begins falling apart, Jolene Zarkades, a mother to two girls, is deployed to active duty as a helicopter pilot in Iraq. Jolene, her husband, Michael, and their daughters are each tested in different ways while she is away and again when she returns. Themes of loss, depression, sacrifice, and tragedy pull on your emotions as the story unfolds.
The scenes involving Betsy, Jolene and Michael’s self-absorbed preteen daughter, were the most challenging for me to read. For some reason, these were more difficult to read than those depicting the frontlines of war. The way Betsy treated her mother was pure heartbreak for me as a mother of a teenage daughter.
Although Michael had his share of insensitive behavior, I appreciated how he grew throughout the novel. One of the brightest spots in the book is Jolene’s relationship with her fellow female fighter pilot, Tami. Like in Firefly Lane, Hannah does a fantastic job portraying the understanding, support, and deep bond between best friends. It was a reminder of how lucky I am to have several friends like Tami.
Ultimately, I’m glad I read Home Front, but I wasn’t sad to see it end. By the last few chapters, I was ready for the emotional ride to conclude.