Soldier Girls

Soldier Girls follows three women from Indiana who joined the National Guard before 9/11, then found themselves deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq in the years that followed. Over twelve years, journalist Helen Thorpe tracked their experiences both during deployment and after returning home. The narrative moves between their time in combat zones and their struggles to maintain relationships and civilian careers back in Indiana. Through interviews and correspondence, Thorpe documents how military service impacts their roles as mothers, daughters, and partners. Their stories reveal the particular challenges faced by female service members during the War on Terror, from gender dynamics within military units to the lasting effects of trauma. The book spans their initial enlistment through multiple deployments and their eventual transitions back to civilian life. This intimate account of military service illuminates broader themes about the intersection of gender, class, and warfare in contemporary America. By focusing on National Guard members rather than career soldiers, the book raises questions about who bears the burden of modern warfare.

Readers found the book provided an intimate look at three women's military experiences through detailed personal accounts and correspondence. Many noted the balanced portrayal that avoided political statements about war while focusing on the human impact. Liked: - Depth of reporting and research - Focus on lesser-told stories of female service members - Raw, honest portrayal of challenges at home and abroad - Clear writing style that maintains narrative flow Disliked: - Some sections felt repetitive - Timeline jumps between characters created confusion - Too much detail about personal relationships - Limited scope with only three subjects Ratings: Goodreads: 4.0/5 (2,800+ ratings) Amazon: 4.5/5 (300+ ratings) Reader quote: "The author disappears into the background and lets these women's stories speak for themselves" - Goodreads reviewer Barnes & Noble readers highlighted the book's exploration of family impacts and readjustment challenges as particularly impactful.

Ashley's War by Gayle Tzemach Lemmon The story follows an all-female team of soldiers who served alongside Special Operations forces in Afghanistan, documenting their experiences in combat zones and their struggle for recognition in the military.

Band of Sisters by Kirsten Holmstedt This book chronicles the experiences of women Marines serving in Iraq and Afghanistan through first-person accounts of their combat experiences and military service.

Love My Rifle More Than You by Kayla Williams A former Army sergeant's memoir details her deployment to Iraq as an Arabic linguist and her observations about gender dynamics in the military.

Rule Number Two by Heidi Squier Kraft A Navy psychologist's account reveals the psychological impact of war on both military personnel and medical professionals during deployment in Iraq.

Shoot Like a Girl by Mary Jennings Hegar This memoir follows an Air National Guard pilot's journey through multiple combat tours and her fight to end the military's Ground Combat Exclusion Policy.

🎖️ Author Helen Thorpe spent 12 years following the lives of three female soldiers, conducting hundreds of hours of interviews and reviewing thousands of pages of their emails, letters, and diaries. 📝 The book's subjects—Michelle Fischer, Debbie Helton, and Desma Brooks—served in Afghanistan and Iraq between 2001-2013, initially joining the Indiana National Guard primarily for college tuition benefits. 🏥 One of the soldiers, Desma Brooks, worked as a medic treating wounded troops at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan, where she witnessed the devastating effects of traumatic brain injuries from IED explosions. 👥 The percentage of women in the U.S. military grew from 2% in 1973 to approximately 15% during the period covered in the book, marking a significant shift in military demographics. 💌 During their deployments, the three women exchanged over 25,000 emails with friends and family, providing raw, unfiltered accounts of their experiences that formed a crucial part of the book's narrative.