What I'm Reading Now - The Yellow Birds

This book is set during the Iraq war. The story is told in first person by Pvt John Bartle. He and his fellow soldier (and friend) Pvt Murphy are the main characters in the story. It follows them as they are deployed to Iraq. As they are leaving Pvt Bartle promises Mrs. Murphy that he'll make sure her son gets home safe....he then tells the reader that this was a promise he would break.

The story follows the 2 and their platoon as they battle in the cold and rain and dark. As they hear of fellow soldiers being killed and wonder when it will be their turn. And then Pvt Murphy dies - it's a bit hazy as to exactly what happens (at least it was to me!).

Upon his return to the US Pvt Bartle struggles with depression and trying to figure out where he fits in with his mother, his friends and within his hometown.

I struggled with this book - alot. I almost quit reading it a few times. I'm not sure if it was the subject matter or the way it was written, but it was a hard book for me to read. Knowing that this was written by a former soldier who fought in the Iraq war makes it even harder to grasp - even knowing that it's fiction.

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