Read book Soldier Girls : The Battles of Three Women at Home and at War by Helen Thorpe DJV, MOBI, TXT
9781451668117 English 1451668112 From an award-winning, "meticulously observant" ("The New Yorker"), and "masterful" ("Booklist") writer comes a groundbreaking account of three women deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq, and how their military service affected their friendship, their personal lives, and their families. America has been continuously at war since the fall of 2001. This has been a matter of bitter political debate, of course, but what is uncontestable is that a sizeable percentage of American soldiers sent overseas in this era have been women. The experience in the American military is, it's safe to say, quite different from that of men. Surrounded and far outnumbered by men, imbedded in a male culture, looked upon as both alien and desirable, women have experiences of special interest. In "Soldier Girls," Helen Thorpe follows the lives of three women over twelve years on their paths to the military, overseas to combat, and back home...and then overseas again for two of them. These women, who are quite different in every way, become friends, and we watch their interaction and also what happens when they are separated. We see their families, their lovers, their spouses, their children. We see them work extremely hard, deal with the attentions of men on base and in war zones, and struggle to stay connected to their families back home. We see some of them drink too much, have illicit affairs, and react to the deaths of fellow soldiers. And we see what happens to one of them when the truck she is driving hits an explosive in the road, blowing it up. She survives, but her life may never be the same again. Deeply reported, beautifully written, and powerfully moving, "Soldier Girls" is truly groundbreaking., This "brilliant" (The Washington Post) and "groundbreaking" (O, The Oprah Magazine) account of three women deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq reveals how their military service affected their friendships, their personal lives, and their families. More women have now served in Iraq and Afghanistan than in any other conflict in our nation's history, and today they compose about 15 percent of the armed forces. Soldier Girls recounts the experiences of three women in the Indiana National Guard- one a young college student, one a single mother, and one a grandmother-who chose to enlist for different reasons, never expecting they would go to war. Helen Thorpe follows the three women, who are quire far apart in age and political views, as they become close friends, perform their duties, deal with both the wanted and unwanted attentions of men on bases at home and in war zones, drink too much, conduct illicit affairs, and react to the deaths of fellow soldiers. We see what happens when the truck one is driving hits an explosive alongside a highway in Iraq. Though she survives, her life will never be the same again. With intimate detail, humor, sensitivity, and insight, Thorpe shows us what it is to be a woman surrounded and far outnumbered by men, embedded in a male culture, looked upon as both alien and highly desirable. Deeply reported, beautifully written, and powerfully moving, Soldier Girls confirms Helen Thorpe's position as one of the most intrepid, thought-provoking journalists of our time. Book jacket.
9781451668117 English 1451668112 From an award-winning, "meticulously observant" ("The New Yorker"), and "masterful" ("Booklist") writer comes a groundbreaking account of three women deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq, and how their military service affected their friendship, their personal lives, and their families. America has been continuously at war since the fall of 2001. This has been a matter of bitter political debate, of course, but what is uncontestable is that a sizeable percentage of American soldiers sent overseas in this era have been women. The experience in the American military is, it's safe to say, quite different from that of men. Surrounded and far outnumbered by men, imbedded in a male culture, looked upon as both alien and desirable, women have experiences of special interest. In "Soldier Girls," Helen Thorpe follows the lives of three women over twelve years on their paths to the military, overseas to combat, and back home...and then overseas again for two of them. These women, who are quite different in every way, become friends, and we watch their interaction and also what happens when they are separated. We see their families, their lovers, their spouses, their children. We see them work extremely hard, deal with the attentions of men on base and in war zones, and struggle to stay connected to their families back home. We see some of them drink too much, have illicit affairs, and react to the deaths of fellow soldiers. And we see what happens to one of them when the truck she is driving hits an explosive in the road, blowing it up. She survives, but her life may never be the same again. Deeply reported, beautifully written, and powerfully moving, "Soldier Girls" is truly groundbreaking., This "brilliant" (The Washington Post) and "groundbreaking" (O, The Oprah Magazine) account of three women deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq reveals how their military service affected their friendships, their personal lives, and their families. More women have now served in Iraq and Afghanistan than in any other conflict in our nation's history, and today they compose about 15 percent of the armed forces. Soldier Girls recounts the experiences of three women in the Indiana National Guard- one a young college student, one a single mother, and one a grandmother-who chose to enlist for different reasons, never expecting they would go to war. Helen Thorpe follows the three women, who are quire far apart in age and political views, as they become close friends, perform their duties, deal with both the wanted and unwanted attentions of men on bases at home and in war zones, drink too much, conduct illicit affairs, and react to the deaths of fellow soldiers. We see what happens when the truck one is driving hits an explosive alongside a highway in Iraq. Though she survives, her life will never be the same again. With intimate detail, humor, sensitivity, and insight, Thorpe shows us what it is to be a woman surrounded and far outnumbered by men, embedded in a male culture, looked upon as both alien and highly desirable. Deeply reported, beautifully written, and powerfully moving, Soldier Girls confirms Helen Thorpe's position as one of the most intrepid, thought-provoking journalists of our time. Book jacket.