“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, for E-mail to the Front
The Lawn Mower SNAFU
To: Judd
From: Alesia
Subject: The lawn mower is not working.
06/02: We just bought this thing before you left and there is no reason why it shouldn’t work Maybe I need to change the oil?
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06/03: I got your e-mail about the little rubber button on the rear of the engine and pumping it. What does “prime the fuel in the mower” mean? Also, is there a correct number of times to pump the button? I pumped it at least 35 times, but it didn’t seem to help.
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06/04: It’s not really fair to expect me to know about flooding the engine, if you don’t tell me. I’ll go try again.
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06/05: It still doesn’t work. I really think I need to change the oil.
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06/06: How would I know if the spark-plug wire is loose from the top of the spark plug???? I didn’t even know that lawn mowers HAD spark plugs.
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06/07: What’s a spark plug?
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06/08: I changed the oil. I even turned the mower upside down to make sure all the oil drained out. Then I put fresh, new oil in it. I asked the guy at the shop, so I know I got the right kind. I filled it to the top.
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06/09: 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.
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06/10: This is ridiculous! We paid good money for this mower and nothing works. Our grass is so long, I think I saw leopards and orangutans wandering around. I am taking it back to the shop. If they think they can sell me a defective mower, they are seriously mistaken. I am not some meek person who will put up with this. I will sue them for fraud. I am taking it back first thing tomorrow morning.
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06/11: Apparently lawn mowers need gasoline.
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“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
Award-winning author Alesia Holliday, also known as New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Alyssa Day, has survived scenes like this and more while her husband, a naval flight officer, was away on military duty. They 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.
“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
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.”
“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
A painfully funny and poignantly true story of one military family’s experience during two war-time deployments, told through the actual email they sent back and forth, 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.