A review by jayspa65
Thank You for Your Service by David Finkel
challenging
emotional
informative
sad
medium-paced
4.0
A very enlightening read for me. The book follows the attempts at recovery of several Iraq war vets who were traumatized by their experience. The author does a great job of relating and interweaving the endeavors and difficulties of the vets, their wives, and the VA staff who treat them. For sure it is not pretty and the discord and anger within the families is near constant.
This is just raw material that brings you right into daily lives, and the author does not apply any spin nor look for good or bad actors. You get to witness the good intentions as well as the self centered tendencies that lead to anger and dysfunctional behavior by both the vets and their wives. It's not explored explicitly but one can only imagine the trauma visited on their young children at such a vulnerable age.
Good writing and it is engaging to read, though it can feel relentlessly heavy at times. Your heart will open up.
This is just raw material that brings you right into daily lives, and the author does not apply any spin nor look for good or bad actors. You get to witness the good intentions as well as the self centered tendencies that lead to anger and dysfunctional behavior by both the vets and their wives. It's not explored explicitly but one can only imagine the trauma visited on their young children at such a vulnerable age.
Good writing and it is engaging to read, though it can feel relentlessly heavy at times. Your heart will open up.