Mari's Reviews > Sodan sisaret

** spoiler alert ** I just finished this story and I’m quite speechless. I don’t even know where to start. This story was a lot. What Frankie has to experience and go through was devastating.

I gobbled the first half of the story. When Frankie was in Vietnam. How she found her courage, strength, determination and self-esteem in the middle of the war. In the middle of the chaos, destruction, enormous amount of pain and loss. I really loved her relationship with Barb & Ethel. How they helped each others to survive. How they stood by each other no matter what. The deep love towards one another. I think the best part of the book was definitely Frankies friendship with her girls. The true friendship is priceless. How they carry you through the most difficult and challenging circumstances.

“𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐆𝐨𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐠𝐢𝐫𝐥𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬. 𝐈𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐫𝐚𝐳𝐲, 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐜, 𝐝𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐫𝐮𝐧 𝐛𝐲 𝐦𝐞𝐧, 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧.”

And what she shared with Jamie was beautiful. Jamie helped Frankie to find her strength and believe in herself and her abilities. He respected her and loved her for who she really was.

The second part of the book took a while for me to finish. It was so full of anxiety and there was a lot to digest. I mean how could anyone survive all that. So much pain, suffering, despair, sadness, anger and abandonment. I think maybe a little bit less would have been enough for one person. And the story would have still been truthful and impactful.

I think it was very important to describe also the life after the war. How veterans were so badly mistreated. How especially women veterans was ignored and not given the treatment, support and respect they needed and deserved. I didn’t know all this before I read this book. And I was surprised how much anger awoked inside me for them. It’s hard to accept that people can be so cruel and heartless.

“𝐌𝐚𝐲𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐲 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐬: 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲, 𝐭𝐨 𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐝𝐢𝐝𝐧’𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐞𝐞.”

“𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐚 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥, 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐰𝐚𝐬𝐧'𝐭 𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐲𝐞𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐢𝐭, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐛𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐬𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬. 𝐖𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞.”

“𝐖𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐛𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐞𝐬.”

The ending was beautiful. But I think Frankie & Jamie would have deserved little bit more than only two pages. I think Frankie deserved more than only few pages of happiness and ease.

“𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐝, 𝐅𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐞. 𝐈𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐰𝐚𝐲. 𝐃𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭.”

This definitely was a very important and impactful reading experience and definitely a story that won’t be forgotten.

~ 4,5 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙨 ☆ ☆ ☆ ✩