Reader Reviews

I picked up your book and loved it. A great story with parent perspective; it had me thinking long and hard.
-CDF
This book is commendable, makes a good reading and brings out both the passion and the determination to fill a void most governments leave. You are indeed a pioneer in this. Well done. I really enjoyed reading the book.
In India we have what is called "AWWA" (Army Wives Welfare association), but it never gets to the point where you have reached. They could learn a lot from your efforts.
Here is something I never knew!
Love and regards to all.
Jai
I'm speechless....Just finished reading this new book about the War in Iraq. You all need to read this book. It will make you value true friendship and open your heart to be more forgiving and understanding. Thank you Jennifer MackInday and Patti Donahue for taking the time to share your journals with me. I cried when I read the last page. - Deborah Siladie
A sobering tale of the battle at home for spouses and families of soldiers who cope with the wars abroad. -Scott Lee
It was a very good book and reported the happenings of the Deuce Four thoroughly. Our son Matt walked out of the mess hall just minutes before it blew up.  I remember him telling me about the terror and terrific injuries and casualties. He was a great mentor and served as a platoon sergeant. He deployed a second time with the 3rd Squadron 2nd Stryker Calvary Regiment. He was Killed in action January 9, 2008, along with five of his soldiers while searching a house rigged with explosives. You can't imagine how proud of him I am, but along with the pride there will always be sadness and pain. He touched many lives and helped a lot of young soldiers and I heard from many of them.  I think all the Gold Star families will tell you the same thing about their pride for their fallen hero. Matt was very proud of the Deuce Four. Gen. Brown and Eric Kurilla and over a dozen other soldiers came to his funeral. He earned the Bronze Star and Army Commendation Medal. He was 30 when he was killed, and left a wife and three children. It was hard for me to read the book. It took a long time for me to pick it up and read it as the memories hurt. Thank you for the terrific book.  I will always cherish it. - Duane Poink
Very well written...events unfold in a linear, almost documentary fashion; Delineated between the context of print are the author's deepest emotions, and yet, for the reader's benefit remains true to a narrative format . A story which is shared in such a unique manner, our own empathy is constantly surfacing throughout; making this book not likely to be read in fragments, but to fruition in one, maybe two sittings. -J.A.
Thanks for writing the book...it was great.  I am in the Army and had no idea it was that hard for family and spouses while we are deployed.  A great insight for the future.  -Brian Young
I want you to know what a gift I think this book is for families who have soldiers overseas right now and also soldiers who have returned home from overseas.  -Martha F.
Excellent Book!!!  The authors were able to convey the extreme raw emotion that is associated with having a loved one in Harm's Way.  This is the first generation of  family and friends who have had instant communication with their soldiers, who are on the front lines,  thru emails, I'ming, phone calls and web cam. Many of the soldiers , being at more primitive camps, do not have these amenities  and some of the soldiers do not have the time or the desire to stand in line for two hours to call home or use the internet.  I don't know which is harder, the knowing or the not knowing what your soldier is experiencing.  In each case, the key word is waiting.  Fortunately , for these two authors, the waiting is over and their loved ones came home.  God Bless Them for taking the time to share their story.  As hard as it was  to read portions of it, as the memories flooded back, we must always remember the cost of Freedom.  -Peggy Alexander
"I just HAD to tell you that I'm reading your book right now and I simply can't put it down. -L.B.
Received your book and forwarded your website to my daughter.  She is looking into the links provided on the Resources page for PTSD.  My son-in-law was in Iraq for a year and has been home for about 1-1/2 years now.  He just recently started having anxiety attacks .. nightmares and put on meds which are helping.  The book and information has been very timely!    Leslie Gallagher

Many books have been written about the Iraq war, from a Soldier's first hand experience to a military wife's journal. This is the first book I have read told from the view of a mother and a sister.
A Soldier is trained for battle, a wife has many more resources at her disposal, a mother in Arizona and a sister in Indiana often have nothing to help them understand what their loved one will experience or how to even get the answers they might need throughout a military deployment.
Friends for Life is a story of two women who despite time, age and distance were able to find the love and support they needed to survive and thrive during their respective loved one's year long deployment to Iraq.
Friends for Life affirms, despite the horrors of war and the fear that lives in the heart of every Soldier's loved one, that sometimes something as beautiful as a lifelong friendship can be found.
The story they tell will touch the hearts of military and non-military families everywhere. A must read for any family member who is unsure of what to expect when their loved one deploys. - Honey Bartel 

This book is a must read for anyone who has any interest in what soldiers and families sacrifice for our freedoms. This story is written by two women, a mother and a sister of two soldiers who served in the Iraq War. These women, complete strangers before the war, became "Friends For Life" through this experience. The book allows those of us who have never experienced the terror of having a loved one in harm's way to have a glimpse of what happens to the families and the soldiers who are serving our country. The resource lists alone would be worth the price of the book. - Dr. Evelyn Brister

This book is a must read for anyone that has been touched by the war in Iraq. It provides insight into the thoughts and feelings of those left at home while their loved ones served in the Gulf. - Rob Mackinday