This memoir is the painfully funny and poignant true story of one military family’s experience during two war-time deployments, told through the actual email they sent back and forth, with accompanying essays.
“6/9: Evidently I wasn’t supposed to put so much oil in the mower. The smoke went away fairly quickly, though. Connor even got to go for a ride in the fire truck.”
Alesia Holliday has survived scenes like this and more while her husband, a naval flight officer, has been away on military duty. They have forged a different kind of marriage-one that the 1.5 million current active-duty service members and their families will identify with through the camaraderie strengthened by shared difficulties and discoveries.
E-mail to the Front consists of short commentaries by Alesia and an e-mail dialogue between she and her husband while he was on deployment. In text filled with empathy, gut-level honesty, humor, and unflinching support, chapters cover everything from “Departure: Only 183 Days to Go” to “Rebellion of the Appliances” to “It’s Like Being a Single Mother, but I Can’t Date.”
E-mail to the Front will appeal to everyone who appreciates the courage of those who choose to serve their country, the families who are meeting the challenge of military duty, and those who love and support them.
“On behalf of civilian America, I salute our nation’s military families, although I’m probably using the wrong hand, or something.”
—Dave Barry, Pulitzer Prize-winning author and humorist
“The subject matter of Email to the Front is of vital importance. Warm, funny, witty, and touching beyond belief, this book brings the words ‘let freedom ring’ down to a personal level and should be required reading for all Americans. I can’t wait to tell all my readers about it.”
—Suzanne Brockmann, New York Times bestselling author
“Unfiltered, unflinchingly honest, at times both poignant and funny, E-Mail to the Front is a must-read. Not just for military spouses, it’s a rare, insider’s look at the sacrifices military families volunteer to face so the rest of us don’t have to.”
—JoAnn Ross, New York Times bestselling author
“It was a relief to pick up Email to the Front and not find the seemingly standard sugar-coated version of how strong military spouses are and how they cope well with everything. The military spouse handles the life and stress of military service the best he or she can–putting on a happy military smile, saying everything’s okay, when the truth of the matter is it likely is not. We encourage everyone to read Email to the Front. It will not only touch your heart, but it will also give you an eye-opening true look at a typical military spouse’s life.”
—Militarywives.com