SOLDIER GIRLS The Battles of Three Women at Home and at War

Journalist Helen Thorpe follows three female Indiana National Guard soldiers who were deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq from the start of the wars through the subsequent 12 years. Donna Postel's narration is clear and well paced, but, overall, unvarying in delivery. Postel might have added a bit more personality to her portrayals of the book's colorful and complex protagonists. While they all come from different backgrounds, ultimately they face similar struggles in balancing their military and personal lives. This is a unique long-term look at the lives of these strong-willed women and how they deal with the stress of deployment and its effects on their personal relationships, home lives, and families. S.E.G. [Published: DECEMBER 2014]