Friday, August 8, 2008

Mrs. Lieutenant

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Title: Mrs. Lieutenant
Author: Phillys Zimbler Miller
Pages: 486
Yearly Count: 48

It is the year 1970, a year of change, uncertainty, and insecurity in our nation. Four women, officer's wives must either embrace or fight the changes that are coming their way. Their husbands, are deciding their own fate. Vietnam is the avoided subject in their gatherings, maybe if they don't talk of it, it will simply be swallowed whole. An amazing novel of the lives of four women, unlikely friends who are almost force to unite in order to make it through their uncertain days together. A racist southerner, an educated Jewish woman, a sheltered black woman, and a Puertorican. Unlikely friends sometimes make the best buddies. They find that their differences are not enough to keep them apart. This is a novel of friendship, relationships, and life under stress.

I wondered how I would do with it, as my brother has just returned from Iraq, after being there over a year and a half. I was worried it would be a liberal bashing of the army, or a republican "we all need to get our guns and go" read....it wasn't either. I felt the whole way through that the characters ballanced each other out. There were some fanatics both ways, which made the balance perfect, and feel much more like the truth than many wartime stories. I did not have to raise my guard at all. I fell in love with this book. A great American read for sure.

This book is so different than what I read most of the time, what a sweet break from my international reading blis. I enjoyed the journey this one brought me on. Overall a great read, intense, loaded and full of well-developed relationships.

Thanks to the Literatehousewife, and the author Phyllis Zimbler Miller for hooking me up with this one!! :) YAY!

Check out the Author's website: Mrs. Lieutenant

Have you reviewed this book too? Give me your review link! :)
Also reviewed by:
Literatehousewife
Fizzy Thoughts

Oh, and don't forget about my giveaway!!!

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

I've read this one, too.
http://fizzybeverage.blogspot.com/2008/06/mrs-lieutenant.html

I really need to remember to start linking to other reviews, too.

Anonymous said...

I am so glad that you liked it! Now we can work out a time to do the conference call. Over the next couple of weeks, what does your schedule look like? Are there any days better than others?

BTW, check out my latest post. You'll like what you see...

Unknown said...

So glad you liked my novel. And I'm hoping that we'll all be on a conference call together.

Madeleine said...

I definitely want to read this book, for many reasons, one is my volonteering at a Naval Hospital in the early '70. i was 18 but so where the boys brought in from Saigon. This part of my life has never left me.
Thank-you for the review, this is my next purchase.
Enjoy your weekend, I am finishing a French book for your challenge, SOMEONE ELSE by Tonino Banecquista, a really good read

Unknown said...

Madeleine --
I would love to have you write a guest post for my blog www.mrslieutenant.blogspot.com about being an 18-year-old at a Navy hospital during the Vietnam War.

Anonymous said...

Hi Phyllis,

I would like to do this, however you need to give me some time as this is very emotional for me. I had just arrived in the US from my country France and circomstances landed me at Oaknoll Naval Hospital in Oakland Cal. Lots of memories...painful ones.
On the other hand I have had so little support when trying to address this issue at the time I slowly kept it to myself.

I will contact you in a few weeks and appreciate to be able to speak about things which should never have happened
Sincerly
Sylvie (madeleine is my middle name)

Anonymous said...

Hi Bethany =)

i have just mooched (bookmooch.com) "Mrs. Lieutenant"

Hope you and your family have a great Sunday

Anna said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anna said...

Oops. My comment was deleted.

I agree that it was a great book.

I reviewed it on my blog here:
http://diaryofaneccentric.blogspot.com/2008/07/mrs-lieutenant-by-phyllis-zimbler.html

bethany (dreadlock girl) said...

softdrink- thanks for the link. I added it.

literatehousewife- yes, let me know. I have a cellphone, but skype might actually be easier if you guys have access to computers and computer microphones.
Just let me know what works.

phillys- yes, a conference call will work out for sure. I can't wait to learn more about the "behind the scenes" of this book. I have some questions for you that I would like to share with my readers if you wouldn't mind answering them.

madeline- wow, thanks for being so open. I can't even pretend to know what that must have been like, and the memories that are still with you as well. I am so glad you got this book! (or are expecting it in the mail) you;ll have to share your thougths on it with me when you get it.

anna- thanks so much, I will add your link!! I enjoyed your review!

Anna said...

I added your review to my blog:

http://diaryofaneccentric.blogspot.com/2008/07/mrs-lieutenant-by-phyllis-zimbler.html

--Anna (Diary of an Eccentric)

Serena said...

Hello:

I found your blog and your post about Mrs. Lieutenant and I have added your link to my review here:

http://savvyverseandwit.blogspot.com/2008/09/mrs-lieutenant-sharon-gold-novel.html

Serena said...

We are also hosting a contest for the book here:
http://savvyverseandwit.blogspot.com/2008/09/journey-to-publication-by-phyllis.html