This book is incredibly written. The war passages are so powerful and hit so hard that I had to put the book down sometimes. It was a book that sticks with you, which is why I couldn’t bring myself to give it only three stars. Hannah is too amazing a writer for that. 

However, there is a lot in the second half that made me feel like I was just pushing through to finish. Maybe that was the point, since Frankie is also trying to just push through life and survive, but that’s a feeling I don’t really want to experience in a book alongside the character. There were a few too many dramatic “twists” for me to find it enjoyable, and at points it even felt like it was unbelievable just how much was going wrong beyond Frankie’s control. Yes, I know that that is sometimes how things are in real life, but that doesn’t always translate to a well done story. I was tired of all the pain by the end, which again, I was maybe supposed to be feeling alongside Frankie, but isn’t something I necessarily want to be feeling when reading a book. 

The ending was strong though and I did deeply love the friendship between Frankie, Ethel, and Barb. I liked seeing how differently their lives played out and wished there had been more focus on that then on all the romantic dramas. I liked seeing them come together repeatedly to support one another and I’m glad that was the ultimate point and focus of the book. It also had amazing commentary on the war itself, in the politics and the complexity of the situation both in-country and in the US. 

Overall, I don’t regret reading this, and I would definitely recommend it to others.