The Future Homemakers of America by Laurie Graham tells the tale of five Air Force pilots' wives and a chance-meeting local friend they happen on while stationed in England in the 1950s. The novel follows these tightly-connected women on life's journey with the military, their husbands, children, and careers in a changing world that brings them right into the new millennium. While fiction, the story gives a raw depiction of the adversities the women faced and the friendship that tied them and their varying paths together.
I found the book hard to get into. Several of the ladies were from Texas, and the dialog and text were written as they speak; needless-to-say, the lack of grammatical integrity was difficult for me to navigate. In addition, the author throws a lot of names at you: the main characters, their children, acquaintances.... I paused often to gather the who's who of the moment.
Although the book is slow to start, I'm glad I stuck with it. As a former Air Force wife, I could relate to these women and enjoyed examining our parallels and the contrasts brought by our generation gap.
What captivated me most of all was how quickly life moves on, and the retrospective opportunities the book provides on how and why life takes us on our designated paths. It is funny, raw, scandalis, and in one section I was so overwhelmed with tears I had to set it down to dry my face, but couldn't wait to get back to its pages.
I recommend this book to women who enjoy the special connection a group of women can posses, and especially to young military wives. A great you're-in-good-company read!
[GiVe AwaY: Now that I'm finished with the book it's up for grabs.... The first interested reader to comment for inquiry, say the word and it's yours.] AnD tHe BooK gOeS to SuSiE!
