“The Wives,” a memoir by Simone Gorrindo, covers a period of time in the author’s life when her husband joined the Army and was assigned to an elite unit. Stationed in Columbus, GA, she was alone for months at a time and built a strong support system with the other military wives.
This is an extremely compelling story. Simone Gorrindo is a talented writer, and this elevates the story above the usual memoir. Roughly two thirds of the narrative is concerned with the military wives and the ways in which they support each other. We meet Rachel, the woman across the street from Simone and her husband Andrew, who immediately welcomes the couple with freshly baked cookies; Hailey, whose husband is Andrew’s team leader, and many others. Simone is a naturally cautious person, so her entry into the support system is slow. Along the way, we learn about her inner thoughts and how she struggles to integrate her husband’s participation in violence with her own opposing beliefs.
I really enjoyed reading this book, even if parts of it were harrowing. While I am not married to a military man and have not ever experienced anything like this, I found it easy to understand due to the writing. Simone is unflinching in describing her own thoughts and the discussions/arguments she and her husband have due to the nature of his occupation and the fact that he is away for long periods of time with little to no communication. All of the wives in the story are compelling people in their own right and I was invested in their stories as well.
I highly recommend this book. It is a fascinating glimpse into a world and a society that many of us know nothing about., in addition to a portrait of incredibly strong women.
This is an extremely compelling story. Simone Gorrindo is a talented writer, and this elevates the story above the usual memoir. Roughly two thirds of the narrative is concerned with the military wives and the ways in which they support each other. We meet Rachel, the woman across the street from Simone and her husband Andrew, who immediately welcomes the couple with freshly baked cookies; Hailey, whose husband is Andrew’s team leader, and many others. Simone is a naturally cautious person, so her entry into the support system is slow. Along the way, we learn about her inner thoughts and how she struggles to integrate her husband’s participation in violence with her own opposing beliefs.
I really enjoyed reading this book, even if parts of it were harrowing. While I am not married to a military man and have not ever experienced anything like this, I found it easy to understand due to the writing. Simone is unflinching in describing her own thoughts and the discussions/arguments she and her husband have due to the nature of his occupation and the fact that he is away for long periods of time with little to no communication. All of the wives in the story are compelling people in their own right and I was invested in their stories as well.
I highly recommend this book. It is a fascinating glimpse into a world and a society that many of us know nothing about., in addition to a portrait of incredibly strong women.