MWSA Review
Away For The Holidays by the Veterans' Writing Group of San Diego County is a well organized compilation of poems and essays which share the heartfelt emotions of serving our country during the holidays, in particular Christmas. The writers refer to all the major holidays but the central theme is the most compelling family gathering of the year in America. The book organizer(s) must be applauded for encouraging vets from a variety of military engagements and eras to share their deepest feelings about being away from home and all that means. The book speaks to a universal theme for any service member as well as any other people who serve the public and sacrifice their time with family during a treasured time of year.
I found the stories compelling and well-written. They took me back to my experience, resurrecting emotions of one of the most difficult aspects of serving in any of our Armed Forces Branches. The contributors are seasoned writers who spend time trying to nurture their God-given gift of wordsmithing with those who aren't so able, but need the therapy that writing offers those who all too often internalize the pain they never forget. I applaud the groups' purpose and the resulting work they share here with any audience that knows people "who have been there and done that."
By Mike Mullins, MWSA Reviewer
Synopsis
Away for The Holidays is a collection of stories written by veterans in the Veterans Writing Group San Diego. Each shares a story of celebrating holidays--that time of family, food, friendship and relative safety-- far from those they love. Their stores are heartwarming and heart-rending, funny and frightening as they recall Christmas' spent on the battlefields of World War II, Vietnam or Kandahar. For the civilian reader, these under-the-helmet stories reveal the everyday sacrifices, camaraderie and pride of our military. For those who have served, these stories will bring back memories of being young and away from home for the holidays.
ISBN/ASIN: 978-1537684611
Book Format(s): Soft cover
Genre(s): Collections, Nonfiction, History, Memoir
Number of Pages: 82