Kristin Hannah nam donosi priču o na prvi pogled jednoj običnoj obitelji, Michaelu i Jolene Zarkades, sa običnim svakodnevnim problemima, djecom, poslovima, kućom i međusobnim udaljavanjem. On je odvjetnik, a ona vojnikinja. Njihovi su politički stavovi potpuno drugačiji, a njihov je brak pred svojim krajem, sve dok ne budu suočeni sa najtežim poglavljima svoga života, sa najvećom bitkom koja ih čeka.
Hannah piše tužne knjige, i toga sam i bila svjesna kada sam posegnula za ovom knjigom, ali ova je nova razina tužnog. Moram biti iskrena i priznati vam da mi je na trenutke bilo čak i preteško čitati neke dijelove, knedla u grlu bila je prisutna od samog početka i zadržala se još dugo nakon posljednje stranice, a ponekad mi se činilo da danima neću prestati plakati.
Autorica je na sebi svojstven način obradila više tema, ali i ovaj put dotakla je temu o kojoj se zapravo jako malo priča. Što kada se ti vojnici vrate u svoje „normalne“ živote? Što kada se vrati samo dio njih? Što kada su ozljede takve da im se životi mijenjaju iz temelja? Što kada su oni toliko drugačiji da ih vlastite obitelji ne prepoznaju? Jesmo li spremni pomoći im i shvatiti ih ili očekujemo da nastave kao da su bili na godišnjem odmoru? Da se uklope u našu svakodnevnicu i ne stvaraju nam probleme? Koliko smo spremni biti tu za druge? I koliko je država spremna biti tu za njih? I znam mnogi će reći sami su to odabrali, ali mnogi nisu imali druge opcije. Ne budimo prebrzi u osuđivanju.
Njezina bitka je knjiga koja će vas definitivno dirnuti, slomiti i natjerati na razmišljanje. Knjiga uz koju ćete kao ja možda drugačije gledati, ili barem pogledati i iz drugog kuta sve te vojnike koji odlaze u tuđe zemlje i vode neke tuđe ratove. No kakvo god vaše i moje mišljenje o tim ratovima i njihovoj opravdanosti bili jedno je sigurno – rat ne završava jednom kada se maknete iz njega. A možda čak i nikada…
Odlična priča, ali ujedno i jedna od najtužnijih koje sam imala prilike čitati.
[english]
Home Front – Kristin Hannah
Kristin Hannah brings us the story of a seemingly ordinary family, Michael and Jolene Zarkades, with ordinary everyday problems, children, jobs, a house and growing apart. He is a lawyer and she is a soldier. Their political views are completely different, and their marriage is about to end, until they are faced with the most difficult chapters of their lives, with the biggest battle that awaits them.
Hannah writes sad books, and I was aware of that when I reached for this book, but this is a new level of sad. I have to be honest and admit that at times it was even too difficult for me to read some parts, the lump in my throat was present from the very beginning and stayed long after the last page, and sometimes I felt like I wouldn’t stop crying for days.
The author has covered several topics in her own way, but this time she also touched on a topic that is actually very little talked about. What happens when these soldiers return to their “normal” lives? What if only some of them come back? What if the injuries are such that their lives change completely? What if they are so different that their own families don’t recognize them? Are we ready to help them and understand them or do we expect them to carry on as if they were on a vacation? To fit into our everyday life and not cause us problems? How ready are we to be there for others? And how much is the state ready to be there for them? And I know many will say they chose it themselves, but many had no other options. Let’s not be too quick to judge.
Home Front is a book that will definitely move you, break you and make you think. A book with which, like me, you may look differently, or at least look from a different angle, at all those soldiers who go to other countries and fight other people’s wars. But whatever your opinion and mine are about these wars and their justification, one thing is certain – the war does not end once you get out of it. And maybe never even…
A great story, but at the same time one of the saddest I’ve had the opportunity to read.
