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sjgrodsky's review against another edition
3.0
Rick Bragg can be wonderful but this book is a potboiler written for quick cash. Bragg evokes the predictable theme of "down home country girl comes home from war to the hearty embrace of her simple salt of the earth family and friends." It's an appealing cliche but Bragg is more interesting and more believable when he probes the darker aspects of rural America.
By adhering so closely to his made-to-sell theme, Bragg ignores the more interesting questions. Why did the convey's mission go so fatally wrong? Why did the Iraqi doctors treat Jessica? What does the beatification of Jessica tell us about the Pentagon's spin machine?
The book is a quick read and gave me the basics of Jessi's story. Worth knowing. But Bragg seems to think that truck drivers from West Virginia are somehow better Americans than software engineers in California. Not true. And this sort of upside down snobbery is the worst.
By adhering so closely to his made-to-sell theme, Bragg ignores the more interesting questions. Why did the convey's mission go so fatally wrong? Why did the Iraqi doctors treat Jessica? What does the beatification of Jessica tell us about the Pentagon's spin machine?
The book is a quick read and gave me the basics of Jessi's story. Worth knowing. But Bragg seems to think that truck drivers from West Virginia are somehow better Americans than software engineers in California. Not true. And this sort of upside down snobbery is the worst.
ihavenouseforit's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
sad
tense
fast-paced
3.75
knightedbooks's review against another edition
2.0
I'm still not sure how I feel about her. Maybe it's because deep down I'm afraid something like that could happen to me. I think the book could have been better written...it seemed to jump around a bit too much.
jerrica's review against another edition
2.0
The story itself is serious, but somehow the writing is fluffy and boring.
xxstefaniereadsxx's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
2.0
Jessica Lynch was born in West Virginia in 1983. She met a recruiter in 2000, and went to basic training in September 2001, after the terrorist attacks. She also attended Advanced Individual Training for her job as a unit supply specialist. She deployed to the Middle East for the 2003 Invasion of Iraq, serving as a Private First Class. On March 23, 2003, a convoy of the United States Army's 507th Maintenance Company and the 3rd Combat Support Battalion elements made a wrong turn and were ambushed near Nasiriyah. The vehicle that Lynch was in was hit by a rocket powered grenade, knocking her unconscious. She was taken prisoner by Iraqi forces, despite her injuries from the ambush. She was in an Iraqi hospital, where she was protected by kind doctors. The United States military was tipped off to her location, where they went to rescue her. (Along with the bodies of eight American soldiers.)
The author of this book (and several others) claim that Lynch was sexually assaulted while she was unconscious. She states that she has no recollection of that, but if she was unconscious, she would not. Given the history of war in general, that is a strong possibility, though the Iraqi doctors who treated her say they found no evidence of such. There were reports that she was tortured, but she says she was not, and all of her injuries appear to have been related to the vehicle being blown up and crashed. The doctor who protected her and his family were given humanitarian asylum in the United States, which was nice to learn. I wanted to like this book more than I did. I did appreciate learning about Lynch, who I remember hearing about in the news. I think that it is important to remember that there are women in combat roles and they face the same issues that men do. The potential for ambush, kidnap, and torture are real no matter what your gender is. Her story is important, even all of these years later. I wish that the author would have been more neutral in his writing, but the book was well written and an interesting read.
The author of this book (and several others) claim that Lynch was sexually assaulted while she was unconscious. She states that she has no recollection of that, but if she was unconscious, she would not. Given the history of war in general, that is a strong possibility, though the Iraqi doctors who treated her say they found no evidence of such. There were reports that she was tortured, but she says she was not, and all of her injuries appear to have been related to the vehicle being blown up and crashed. The doctor who protected her and his family were given humanitarian asylum in the United States, which was nice to learn. I wanted to like this book more than I did. I did appreciate learning about Lynch, who I remember hearing about in the news. I think that it is important to remember that there are women in combat roles and they face the same issues that men do. The potential for ambush, kidnap, and torture are real no matter what your gender is. Her story is important, even all of these years later. I wish that the author would have been more neutral in his writing, but the book was well written and an interesting read.
modknight's review against another edition
2.0
I'm still not sure how I feel about her. Maybe it's because deep down I'm afraid something like that could happen to me. I think the book could have been better written...it seemed to jump around a bit too much.
justaguy's review against another edition
2.0
I felt this is more of middle school type of book than it for me. Also, I wished the author would invested more into the tragic event than back home. As I came from a small town like her. So the home background and narrative is pretty predictable to me. Then plus, we all know how the second Iraq war was full of incompetences and horrors of logistics and supports etc. Again, in every war there will always be gaps of information and all.
knightedbooks's review
2.0
I'm still not sure how I feel about her. Maybe it's because deep down I'm afraid something like that could happen to me. I think the book could have been better written...it seemed to jump around a bit too much.
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