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 … 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.
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The head Front was a very moving story of a family, whose soldier who goes off to war is the wife and mother. There’s a conflict of beliefs regarding the war between husband and wife. The children must accept a different mom who comes home from war.
Feelings are very realistically spilled out on each page. I had tears reading it.
I couldn’t put book down . Great research went into PTSD.
If you only read one book this year read this one! Very emotional story of a troubled marriage combined with the effects of PTSD. The husband is a lawyer and the wife is a helicopter pilot that gets shot down in Iraq and loses her best friend. Be prepared to cry!
When Jolene — wife, mother of two girls, and army helicopter pilot –is deployed to Iraq, her family consisting of a driven lawyer husband, an unbalanced twelve-year-old and an innocent 5-year-old must all cope with her absence each on their own level. Mostly we see through the eyes of Jolene who carries her own emotional baggage from a troubled childhood and troubled marriage. All the family members ride an emotional roller coaster as they learn to re-interpret their relationships.
I love all of her books and recommend all of the to my friends and family.
I loved the depth of these characters and of the story line.
Very well researched and deeply moving book. The story line of the soldier going off to war the difficult decisions as well as the family outlook is impacted by the soldier being a woman, mother, and wife. The story provides a outlook of the impact of war on all facets as well as the signs to watch for with PTSD. The story is respectful and educating. Moving story in these times.
I loved this book. Not many military books star a female helicopter pilot who goes off to war while the husband stays home to hold down the fort and the family. I cried through most of it. If I could give it 10 stars I would.
I usually enjoy Kristen Hannah. Books. This one was WAY too dramatic and predictable.
Another of my favorite authors, her books draw the characters so well you feel as if you know them.
I loved it. I was introduced to Kristen Hannah in my bookclub and was very impressed with her depth. You can tell she researched her books. It was the story if a woman that goes off to war and the husband stays home to take care of the family and then they all must adjust to her changed behaviors when she comes home.
I loved this book. At first it was so easy to get into Jo’s character. Then when she went to war, so much to learn.
It was so heart warming to read how her husband learned and changed. Not only becoming Mr. Mom, but about the Army, war and PTSD.
The struggle Jo went through after coming home was heart wrenching, you just wanted to talk to her and help her face to face.
Great book Kristin Hannah
I love all of Kristin Hannah’s books
This book and its sequel, Fly Away, depict the impact of slavery on human beings. I think both books could have gone further in order to be more realistic.
Very emotional story! I loved it!
This novel is an example of why Kristin Hannah remains on my top authors list! Such a perfect read with all the feels.
I can not say enough about this book. I laughed, I cried (a lot), and I fell in love with every character in this book. Kristin Hannah is a superb story teller. I have only read one other book by this author, The Great Alone, which I highly recommend. If you are a fan of strong female characters, this is a book for you. Jolene is tough. This book taught me so much about the struggles a military family goes through while their loved ones are away and it taught me even more about the struggles the hero’s and their families go through once a loved one comes home from war. This book is beautiful. Thank you to every member of the military for your service and thank you to every military family as well.
I appreciated the areas that covered the military and PTSD, but the portrayal of the children was just too much and too unrealistic.
beautifully written and so terribly sad.
NOT AS GOOD AS HER OTHER BOOKS BUT WORTH A READ.
I love all books by Kristen Hannah. She is fabulous.