Non-Fiction

Title: Mollie's War: The Letters of a World War II WAC in Europe
Author: Mollie Weinstein and Cyndee Schaffer
Genre: Non-Fiction, Memoir
Reviewer: Bob Ruehrdanz

ISBN (links go to the MWSA Amazon store): 0786447915

Why did an average American woman become a WAC during World War II and place herself in peril?
Mollie’s War documents the human side of life during the war—a life that alternates between fear and romance, exhaustion and leisure. Some of that story was picked up by the Detroit Jewish News in her hometown when a columnist for the paper asked her to be his overseas correspondent. The newspaper and B’nai B’rith raised $165,000 in War Bonds in Mollie’s name.

It took many letters home telling everything from daily challenges to exciting experiences (when the censors allowed) for her story to emerge. What was it like to be in England while the country was under constant bombardment by unmanned German missiles? Imagine being among the first WACs to enter Normandy after the D-Day invasion. Did you ever wonder whether you would use your foreign language skills from high school? Well, Mollie used those skills when she was transferred to Paris, acting as an interpreter in both work and social situations. Envision being a young Jewish woman in Frankfurt Germany on Rosh Hashanah 1945 and walking with other G.I’s to the rededication of the only standing synagogue.

This collection depicts vividly Mollie’s experiences from her first train trip to Daytona Beach, Florida for basic training in Oct. 1943 to the dramatic image of seeing the Statue of Liberty as her ship approached the shores of the USA in Nov. 1945.

Title: In Their Honor: The Men Behind the Names of Our Military Installations
Author: Linda Swink
Genre: Non-Fiction, Reference
Reviewer: Joyce Faulkner

ISBN (links go to the MWSA Amazon store): 1932250514

In Their Honor is a collection of 524 biographies of men who have had a military installation named in his honor. The book gives the reader a glimpse into the lives of military heroes from privates to generals, aviation pioneers, prisoners of war, civilians, astronauts, and explorers and scientists who either gave their lives for our country or in some way made a major contribution to our nation. All branches of the military are included plus bases in Germany, Korea, Army Airfields, Air and National Guard Bases and other overseas installations.

Title: Distant War: Recollections of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia
Author: Marc Yablonka
Genre: Non-Fiction, Memoir
Reviewer: Bill McDonald

ISBN (links go to the MWSA Amazon store): 098341680X

This is a newly-edited compilation of eighteen years of Yablonka's reportage on American involvement in Indochina and the people affected by America's connection to that part of the world. After all those years and numerous articles about an indelible mark on American history published in the likes of the U.S. Military's Stars and Stripes, Army Times, American Veteran, the Weider History Group publication Vietnam Magazine and others, these stories needed a wider audience for the world to know what they suffered, how most survived, and how they overcame adversity.

Distant War: Recollections of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, will be the vehicle to the reader's understanding of a war and its aftermath that may seem distant now, but what is important is that it will make readers realize--if they haven't already--that in war, whether in the jungles of Vietnam or the sands of Iraq, in a very real sense, while who wins and who loses is obviously important, what is equally necessary is that good somehow must and shall prevail.

Title: While You Were Away: 101 Tips for Families Experiencing Absence or Deployment
Author: Megan Egerton-Graham
Genre: Non-Fiction, How To
Reviewer: Weymouth Symmes

ISBN (links go to the MWSA Amazon store): 0981143601

While You Were Away is concerned with coping with the extended absence of family members, either on military deployments, or, one assumes, any lengthy absence. The book is an action plan to make that absence easier on the family remaining and the individual deployed. Mostly Megan concentrates on the family at home, with a particular emphasis on families with young children.

Title: God + Military Spouse: United Our Families Will Stand
Author: Lori Cline
Genre: Non-Fiction, Inspirational
Reviewer: Gail Chatfield

ISBN (links go to the MWSA Amazon store): 0981764355

How many times have you gone to relax with friends only to end up in a gripe session about your marriage? You leave feeling even more exhausted and simply depressed. Learn to replace you idle coffee talk with more substantial Christian talk.
We all have problems, but military marriages endure more pressure than the average couple. Discussing marital issues is normal, but it should be done to discover the message of the Bible and what purpose God has for you, your spouse , and your children.
Insanity is when you do the same thing over and over again and expect a different result. "Maybe I did not yell loud enough." "Maybe I did not stay silent long enough." " Maybe I should have withheld sex more often." These old tactics don't change anything or anyone, but they certainly do destroy.
Invite God into your marriage, and see how your attitude changes. What do you have to lose? Your way is not working. How about trying God's way?