Soldier Girls: The Battles of Three Women at Home and at War - Helen Thorpe

Thorpe is a meticulous reporter who spent years interviewing three women who signed up for the Indiana National Guard before 9/11 only to find that their lives would be forever changed, and not always for the better, by the service they gave. Thorpe had access not only to her subjects and their families, friends, and colleagues, but also to emails, therapists’ notes, and other personal documents. The book explores and illuminates the realities of a volunteer military asked to wage war in far-off and challenging lands. Thorpe has given us a fascinating – and essential – look at the human costs of America’s war on terror.