I LOVE A MAN IN UNIFORM in The New York Times Book Review, 5/17

The premise sounds like fodder for a Diablo Cody screenplay: A sassy former stripper and anarchist with a penchant for pop-culture references falls in love with a strait-laced solder and becomes an Army wife. What follows is a humorous, moving and surprising account of married life in today's military.

When her husband is sent to Iraq, Burana sinks into isolation and despair, indulging morbid thoughts, imagining his funeral and "playing a sick game of Which Would Be Worse?...If he were killed or maimed?"

Her husband's safe return and a transfer to West Point lead to only more heartache. The author feels smothered. She finds that both she and her husband suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. She becomes suicidal, and they decide to separate.

The book is full of interesting observations about West Point life: The Army wives admonish one another to "suck it up," and compete over their husbands' ranks; no one discusses the war (though Burana's civilian friends, who act as guideposts throughout, talk about little else).

Devastated over Abu Ghraib and the ensuing silence at the academy, she e-mails a West Point general, demanding his thoughts. Burana prints his response, including this chilling observation: "From interviews of captured foreign fighters, most said they decided to join the jihad from what happened in Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo."

Such details elevate this honest and touching personal memoir into a notable historical document. (read less)

I LOVE A MAN IN UNIFORM in The New York Times Book Review, 5/17

The premise sounds like fodder for a Diablo Cody screenplay: A sassy former stripper and anarchist with a penchant for pop-culture references falls in love with a strait-laced solder and becomes an Army wife. What follows is a humorous, moving and surprising account of married life in today's military.

When her husband is sent to Iraq, Burana sinks into isolation and despair, indulging morbid thoughts, imagining his funeral... (read more)