Soldier Girls

The Battles of Three Women at Home and at War

By: Helen Thorpe

Narrated by: Donna Postel

Soldier Girls follows the lives of three women on their paths to the military. These women, who are quite different in every way, become friends, and we watch their interaction and also what happens when they are separated. We see their families, their lovers, their spouses, their children. We see them work extremely hard, deal with the attentions of men on base and in war zones, and struggle to stay connected to their families back home. We see some of them drink too much, have illicit affairs, and react to the deaths of fellow soldiers. And we see what happens to one of them when the truck she is driving hits an explosive in the road, blowing it up. She survives, but her life may never be the same again.

©2014 Helen Thrope (P)2014 Dreamscape Media, LLC

Critic reviews

".... a solid chunk of American history...." - ( The New York Times Book Review)

Starred review. ".... this visceral narrative illuminates the role of women in the military...." ( Publishers Weekly)

"With a novelist's perception of character, drama, and telling detail, Helen Thorpe magically weaves together the stories of three very different but equally compelling women soldiers. Taken together, their stories provide an intimate window on life in the military, the impact of war, and the difficult transition to home. This is an absolutely terrific and important work." (Doris Kearns Goodwin)

Amazing stories of three veterans

I could not stop listening, was drawn into these women's lives and stories. Several veterans in my family, and I'm very interested in speaking to them about their experiences. Wonderful narrator, she did an excellent job portraying the individual women and their stories. Absolutely recommend.

Should be taught in school -missing a positive eye

Would you listen to Soldier Girls again? Why?

Yes: The details regarding "home-rules" vs. "Home-rules" is something we all need to look closer at. The way friendships are formed left me feeling like i have been along them myself. The different political standpoints where also very interresting. I am so happy i bought this book, i could not stop listening.

What did you like best about this story?

The honesty and the facts that you feel that you have gotten to know some amazing people

Which character – as performed by Donna Postel – was your favorite?

They are all important because this is a memoair. But i do think Michelle mention Ani de franco once. You can never avoid digging another Ani fan.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

"From home to chaos"

Conference of Women

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would recommend it. It has a good story with soul and the narrator did a decent job.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Soldier Girls?

When the 2nd tour came up and they had to go again, separated.

If you could give Soldier Girls a new subtitle, what would it be?

Conference of Women

Any additional comments?

I didn't love the ending. I wish it would have been deeper, more girth, more something. It just ended with so many lose ends. Characters were forgotten about and since it is based on real life...it leaves you hanging.

Interesting and informative

I’m really glad I listened to this book in order to learn more about what it’s like for women who went to war in Afghanistan and Iraq. At first the style of reading was irritating, but after a while it didn’t bother me. I’ve now read all of Thorpe’s books and I recommend all of them. She does an excellent job of making her topics interesting and informative. Her characters are likable and I kept wanting to hear more to know what happens to them.

Stories worth remembering

Thank you for telling their stories, their importance, their lives. Everyone deserves to be recognized for their unselfish service and commitment to duty.