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Dear Violet: letter from a desert grave
Private Charlie Day had a tragic life. Abandoned by her birth parents, she spent her early life in the revolving door of foster parents; never finding a family to adopt her. In Dear Violet, she explains her version of her "life as government property." From foster care to girl's home to the street to Army Reserve, Charlie's life is one of solitude and isolation; until she meets Violet. Finally able to love, Charlie's time with Violet is cut short by her deployment to Iraq. When Charlie's life ends on a dusty road, circumstances leave her trapped with unfinished business. Dear letter from a desert grave is Charlie's exposé of the truth surrounding her death, and a journey to her final redemption.
96 pages, Perfect Paperback
First published May 1, 2007
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
June 1, 2009
I picked this up from the local library because it's a book carried by buyolympia.com. The author lives in Olympia, as I do, and there's that whole "local" thing that's appealing and hip right now. I don't know how much it applies to your fiction selections, but anyway.
This is a quick, fast read. It's the story of a lesbian in the military. She's sent to Iraq, where she dies, and her death is covered up by the military. Her wife is left behind and lied to by the military, so this book is an effort from the dead lez to set the record straight, channeling a writer to be her voice from beyond the grave. Parts of it are a little cheesy. Parts of it were touching and emotional. There's a subtext of protest. Actually, it's not very subtle, so maybe one of the major thematic elements is protest - protesting the war, protesting the invisibility of gays in the military. There's also an element of hope and healing - through love, of course.
This is a quick, fast read. It's the story of a lesbian in the military. She's sent to Iraq, where she dies, and her death is covered up by the military. Her wife is left behind and lied to by the military, so this book is an effort from the dead lez to set the record straight, channeling a writer to be her voice from beyond the grave. Parts of it are a little cheesy. Parts of it were touching and emotional. There's a subtext of protest. Actually, it's not very subtle, so maybe one of the major thematic elements is protest - protesting the war, protesting the invisibility of gays in the military. There's also an element of hope and healing - through love, of course.
September 12, 2007
A wonderful book which integrates powerful themes of pacifism, tolerance, and love into an engaging narrative. The author presents the realities of the war in Iraq and its devastating effects directly to the reader while also providing inspiration and insight through the voice of a strong female main character. I read this novel in one sitting and look forward to repeated readings.
April 14, 2008
Definitely thought-provoking, and the final image is eerie. But the rest of it was an intriguing, true-to-life sounding story.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews