Mother’s Day has passed, but if you’re looking for a book as
a gift for a mother, this is it. Kristin
Hannah certainly writes with a formula, but it’s one that works. You can expect complex plots, rich
characters, and a nicely resolved ending. “Home Front” is no exception.
“Home Front” is set during the war in Iraq and tells the
story of Jolene and Michael Zarkades.
She’s a reserve army pilot, a wife, and a mother of a preteen and a
preschooler. She manages work, which she
loves, and home, alongside helping her oldest daughter, Betsy, deal with
teenage angst. Michael is a workaholic lawyer and is
incredibly selfish and absent from family life.
The novel begins with him telling Jolene that he doesn’t love her
anymore. Then she is called up for
active duty in Iraq. Her sense of duty sends
her to war, much to the dismay of her family.
Betsy is resentful, and Michael must step into the role of primary
caregiver. Tragedy strikes while
Jolene is at war, and everyone is faced with dealing with the aftermath while
attempting to hold the family together.
The story deals with familiar themes that many readers can
relate to: marriage difficulties,
mother/daughter relationships, patriotism, and the physical and mental results
of war on soldiers. It is not hard to
become emotionally invested in the plot.
What is great about this novel is that there is no perfect
character. The reader’s sympathies
switch throughout the novel. The
characters are real and relatable.
This is a moving and stirring story and shouldn’t be missed.
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