Comments on: When The Girls Come Marching Home

By: Aurora

Aurora — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 16:14:58 +0000

Ms Kenney’s review sparked my interest in reading the book. Having come of age during the Viet Nam War, I am keenly aware of the emotional distress of the returning soldiers. Women soldiers returning from today’s wars is of special interest and Kenny’s review touched on my concerns without being on-sided or glorifying the book. I am left to discover my own conclusions. I have often thought why in the 21st Century does humanity still look to war to solve its differences. I look forward to reading The Girls Come Marching Home

By: Yves

Yves — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 00:31:47 +0000

I just loved this insightful review, by Ms. Kenney of this book that places much needed emphasis on the aftermath of female soldiers returning from war. This is a demographic of troops, not always talked about. Obviously, female soldiers are plighted with their own unique aftershocks of war. I believe women should not be considered experimental, but should serve with dignity and pride along with their male counterparts. I am just purely anti-war as a whole and think they should all come home, man and woman.

By: Lee Kagan

Lee Kagan — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 19:57:07 +0000

Thanks for an excellent review of a book that puts a female face on a topic (soldiers returning from war) that is covered by the MSM mainly from a male perspective. There are aspects of readjustment to life after the traumas of war that are unique to women as Shawna points out. PTSD in returning vets is a huge problem. (97 new patients in just one day last week at a large VA Hospital here in California where my friend directs the psychiatry program.) The VA system is simply overwhelmed. PTSD’s impact on the special relationship mother’s have with their children can linger for a lifetime. (Just ask children of Holocaust survivors.) And the added horrors of woman in combat zones having to contend with sexual assault is rarely touched on by the media. Kudos to the author for showing us an often overlooked aspect of America at war.

By: shawnak

shawnak — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 17:44:28 +0000

Thanks for reading, all. I really had no idea that women-in-combat was still considered an ‘experiment’ until I read this book. Holmstedt is breaking new and interesting ground by exploring this. The stories took me on an emotional rollercoaster.

By: Jim Crandall

Jim Crandall — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 15:48:03 +0000

Our government does too many things when they are ill prepared to face the after effects of what happens to real people during hard times. No, not hard times, indescribable times. There are too many good people who go to war, then come back a different person, never to be the same. And the fact that our fellow American women service members have to contend with their own comrades and worry about sexual assault is just too much. I look forward to reading this book and learning even more about than what I learned first hand from fellow Marines that served and returned. Being a recently retired Marine, it will be that much more interesting.

By: Patricia Moyer

Patricia Moyer — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 17:39:30 +0000

Thanks!
Found this review helpful since it allays any concerns that the book is “hooah” war or anti-war. Let’s us know it’s well-balanced account of the issues women face in the military during wartime.

By: Girls, Grrrls, Gurls « Shawna’s Blog

Girls, Grrrls, Gurls « Shawna’s Blog — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 02:44:58 +0000

[…] shira tarrant, women in combat, women in the military Just did my first guest-blog on Girl With Pen—a review of Kirsten Holmstedt’s book, The Girls Come Marching Home. I still hate this […]

By: Maggie Holliday

Maggie Holliday — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 23:30:42 +0000

Thanks for this review and making me aware of this author and this book. I had never heard of either before. It sounds like reading and information that needs to be widely spread. I was reading just this week how the VA is admitting they have failed the female soldier.