Home Front by Kristin Hannah (audio book review)
From a distance, Michael and Joleen Zarkades seem to have it all: a solid marriage, two exciting careers, and children they adore. But after twelve years together, the couple has lost their way; they are unhappy and edging toward divorce. Then the Iraq war starts. An unexpected deployment will tear their already fragile family apart, sending one of them deep into harm’s way and leaving the other at home, waiting for news. When the worst happens, each must face their darkest fear and fight for the future of their family. An intimate look at the inner landscape of a disintegrating marriage and a dramatic exploration of the price of war on a single American family, Kristin Hannah’s HOME FRONT is a provocative and timely portrait of hope, honor, loss, forgiveness, and the elusive nature of love.
My Thoughts
I have been a big fan of Kristin Hannah’s books for years, and own almost all of them. When I received the opportunity to review one of her newest books, I jumped at the chance. Upon finding out that it was an audio book, I was a bit skeptical, mainly because I really enjoy reading and rereading parts of her books. I enjoy closing my eyes and picturing the characters, and delving into their lives.
Home Front is a story about Jolene and Michael Zarkades and their family. Jolene is a guard reservist helicopter pilot, while her husband is a workaholic lawyer. When Jolene leaves for Iraq with her best friend Tami Flynn, her angry husband was left with a busy job, a household to keep up, and two needy children. When Jolene finally gets home, she’s not the mother and wife her family knew.
This story was emotionally draining at points, frustrating at other points. Don’t get me wrong, I thought this was a great book that showed great compassion for military families and what they go through. The reader, Maggie Meg Read did a good job with voice changes and emotion, but the characters drove you nuts sometimes, and you just wanted to shake them and tell them to stop being so whiny. This audio book was 15 hours long. I think the length of it also added to a bit of my strain in giving it the best review. I will definitely go back and READ this book as opposed to listening to it again.
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