As a Military Spouse, this book caught my attention. The League of Wives tells the story from the eyes of a group of POW/MIA spouses during the Vietnam War, and their back and forth struggles with the Government. They were instructed to keep mum on the statuses of their spouse’s conditions. In the beginning, they complied but became increasingly disenchanted with the Administration not doing enough to help our Soldiers. These Women banded together, took it public, and did what they felt was necessary to bring their (and others) loved ones home. From hosting small meetings with local wives to using mass media to spread their plight, these women did it all. They took a time of hardship and turned it into a movement. Although the campaign was successful after their POW’s came home, and the fanfare died down, they had to readjust back into their normal lives. Any Military spouse can tell you there really isn’t such a thing after deployment. I can only imagine how they felt without the resources we have today that help us with reintegration. PTSD was acknowledged then, but not widely accepted as it is now.
If you are looking for a detailed account of POW/MIA, this isn’t the book for you. There are parts of the book that seemed to drag on with no real context. However, I did like the back stories on the women involved and the changing times in the US during this war. My Husband has deployed, and this exact situation is a constant fear for Military Spouses. I commend the bravery of these Women and the sacrifices they made that has in tuned changed the way the Military handles these issues today. I also enjoyed references to various Military installations as I lived at or near a few that were mentioned. The book reminded me of Hidden Figures. Women have come so far from the ’50s and ’60s, and who doesn’t like reading about defying the odds? Rumor has it Reese Witherspoon may option this for a movie. If she does, I would definitely see it.
My rating 3.5/5Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for is ARC in exchange for my honest review
