Marion Reynolds

"A Soldier's Wife" by Marion Reynolds is a poignant and compelling memoir that offers a deeply personal look at the experiences of a military spouse during wartime. The book provides a raw and honest account of the author's experiences as a soldier's wife, and the challenges and sacrifices that come with being part of a military family.
The author's writing style is engaging and vivid, and she does an excellent job of bringing her experiences to life on the page. Her descriptions of life on the military base, the emotions she experiences during her husband's deployment, and the challenges of raising a family on her own are all deeply moving and thought-provoking.
One of the book's standout features is the author's honesty and vulnerability. She doesn't shy away from sharing the difficult and painful aspects of her experiences, including her struggles with depression and anxiety, and the toll that her husband's deployment takes on her and her family.
The book also provides valuable insights into the military experience, including the challenges faced by soldiers and their families, and the impact of war on those who serve and those who love them. The author offers a unique and valuable perspective on these issues, and her memoir is a valuable contribution to the conversation around military families and their experiences.
Overall, "A Soldier's Wife" is a powerful and moving memoir that offers a deeply personal look at the experiences of a military spouse during wartime. The author's engaging writing style, honesty, and vulnerability make this book a must-read for anyone interested in the military experience or the challenges faced by military families.… (mehr)

*Spoilers ahead*
Losing and loving seems to have been meant to be a much longer story that was severely edited down in the most random way.
The main characters are four adult siblings and their parents. What starts off as a story that is very equally divided (almost annoyingly so) then skips a very important phase in one character's arc (Harry and Julia are great again now dont worry how), spends much too much time with another (Kathleen is going to be an actress that makes terrible life decisions we get it), and pretty much completely forgets a third (New York is suddenly too far away to follow when Joseph and Max go there) and then ends with the fourth sibling in an almost surprise ending (hey Mary was the main character all along!)
Anyway this ended up being a frustrating read as the character I connected most with and was most looking forward to getting back to his story was just not gotten back to.… (mehr)

This is a poignant and powerful story of an Irish Catholic family and the complex and intertwined lives of four adult siblings, all holding on to what they each believe to be true, drawing from the kindness of two charming and thoughtful parents, both with trials of their own. At times the historical information seemed a bit forced, but generally I felt I was learning quite a bit of contextual history as the story unfolded. Although there are quite a few characters to keep track of, I found when explaining the principle plot to someone else, it flowed easily and my confidante was shocked to learn that each of these accounts were in fact all from one book. The title is spot on and I found myself truly agonizing for one daughter in particular, while becoming quite cross with her sister for being such a selfish coward, but I digress. I read this book unaware that it was the second in a series and I followed along quite easily yet I'm intrigued as "A Soldier's Wife" must encapsulate the matriarch and patriarch of this story as a younger couple and the third book will likely move to the grandchildren.… (mehr)