Home Front, Kristin Hannah
Home Front, Kristin Hannah
26 Rating(s)
List: $32.99 | Sale: $23.10
Club: $16.49

Home Front
A Novel

Author: Kristin Hannah

Narrator: Maggi-Meg Reed

Unabridged: 15 hr 5 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 01/31/2012


Synopsis

"Home Front is Hannah's crowning achievement."—The Huffington Post

In this powerhouse of a novel, Kristin Hannah explores the intimate landscape of a troubled marriage with this provocative and timely portrait of a husband and wife, in love and at war.

All marriages have a breaking point. All families have wounds. All wars have a cost. . . .

Like many couples, Michael and Jolene Zarkades have to face the pressures of everyday life—children, careers, bills, chores—even as their twelve-year marriage is falling apart. Then a deployment sends Jolene deep into harm's way and leaves defense attorney Michael at home, unaccustomed to being a single parent to their two girls. As a mother, it agonizes Jolene to leave her family, but as a solider, she has always understood the true meaning of duty. In her letters home, she paints a rose-colored version of her life on the front lines, shielding her family from the truth. But war will change Jolene in ways that none of them could have foreseen. When tragedy strikes, Michael must face his darkest fear and fight a battle of his own—for everything that matters to his family.

At once a profoundly honest look at modern marriage and a dramatic exploration of the toll war takes on an ordinary American family, Home Front is a story of love, loss, heroism, honor, and ultimately, hope.

"Hannah has written a remarkable tale of duty, love, strength, and hope that is at times poignant and always thoroughly captivating and relevant." —Library Journal (starred review)

About Kristin Hannah

Kristin Hannah was born in September 1960 in Southern California. At eight years old, her family moved to Western Washington. Kristin decided to become a lawyer and attended law school in Washington. While in her third-and final-year of law school, Kristin’s mom was in the hospital, facing the end of her long battle with cancer. Always knowing that her daughter was meant to be a writer, Kristin and her mother collaborated on a novel. After her mom's death, she packed up all those bits and pieces of paper and research they'd collected and put them in a box in the back of her closet. Kristin got married and continued practicing law.

Then, Kristin found out she was pregnant and was on bed rest for five months. It was during that time that her husband reminded her of the book she'd started with her mom. Kristin pulled out the boxes of research material, dusted them off and began writing. By the time their son was born, she'd finished a first draft and found an obsession.

After many rejections, Kristin finally got "the call," and in that moment, she went from a young mother with a cooler-than-average hobby to a professional writer, and has never looked back. In all the years between then and now, she has never lost her love of, or her enthusiasm for, telling stories. Kristin feels truly blessed to be a wife, a mother, and a writer. Her novel, Firefly Lane, became a runaway bestseller in 2009, a touchstone novel that brought women together.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Betsy on March 09, 2012

I am a female veteran, having served in the 80's and 90's. I didn't agree with the author's portrayal of female soldiers as a novelty. We've been around a long time now and have integrated ourselves into the military without being freaks any more. Likewise, in 2007, the nation was highly supportive......more

Goodreads review by Nicole on August 26, 2021

Home Front is my third book by Kristin Hannah and my least favorite. I’ve read so far The Great Alone and The Nightingale and while both stories are different (the first set in Alaska and the second is a WWII story) they still made me feel. A lot. I also loved the characters and cared very much abou......more

Goodreads review by Megs ♥ on February 04, 2012

Home Front is the newest book by author Kristin Hannah, and I was thrilled to receive an ARC of this book through GoodReads First Reads. When I first read the synopsis of this book, I will admit it didn't seem like something that would appeal to me. After reading and loving Night Road I gained confid......more

Goodreads review by Paige (semi-hiatus) on August 30, 2024

Crying club is in session 🫡 Buddy read with my girlies Meagan & Misty 💖🫂......more

Goodreads review by Theresa on March 21, 2022

This isn’t my favorite Kristin Hannah novel, but, like many of her books, I did tear up at times. Michael and Jolene are facing challenges in their marriage as they raise a 12-year-old girl who’s dealing with mean girls at school and a 4-year-old daughter who, when upset, can screech loud enough to......more


Quotes

“Kristin Hannah's Home Front, read with fine emotional nuance by Maggi-Meg Reed, is the kind of novel that grabs your heart as it draws you in…Keep the Kleenex close, and breathe through the lumps in your throat.” —Booklist

“The novel's second half, a moving exploration of the impact of post-traumatic stress disorder on an already shaky family dynamic, is especially well read by Maggi-Meg Reed, who inhabits all the voices and characters with skill and heartfelt emotion. A timely book that is highly recommended for all audiences.” —Library Journal, Starred Review