****** - Verified Buyer
4.5
Soldier Girls is a rich, amazingly researched and wonderfully – intimately – written tale. The story is at least what its title states. In addition it is a balanced, tastefully developed, profound discussion of the flesh of military service. It does not shy from presenting the shameful components of our distinctive National engagements with both Iran and Afghanistan, where our Government's conduct, supported and funded by both Congressional Parties, as well as initiated by the usually blamed then Office of the President, and Foreign Relations, did enormous harm to a foreign nation, as well as to its own troops (both in battle and at home).While the word "girls," of the title, is appropriately chosen, the experience of the reader is to personally be with a depth of women human-beings. It's a gift of the actual women – real and true – that they engage in sharing the substance and conduct of their lives.One academic colleague once had a fixation of regaling her governing Board of Trustees with the comment, "Women are not human-beings." Her point appeared to be that "Women are victims," though, shockingly, no one ever asked this self-proclaimed feminist to explain her choice of language.In serious contrast, the women-human-beings of Helen Thorpe's book, are not "victims." Being with the flesh of their lives, their courages, is a privilege for which I am greatly thankful. They become friends.
