Invisible Wounds of War

by Marguerite Guzmán Bouvard

There's no real homecoming for many of our veterans returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. They may go through the motions of daily life in their hometowns, but the terrible sights and sounds of war are still fresh in their minds. This empathic, inside look into the lives of our combat veterans reveals the lingering impact that the longest wars in our nation's history continue to have on far too many of our finest young people. Basing her account on numerous interviews with veterans and their families, the author examines the factors that have made these recent conflicts especially trying.A major focus of the book is the extreme duress that is a daily part of a soldier's life in combat zones with no clear frontlines or perimeters. Having to cope with unrecognizable enemies in the midst of civilian populations and attacks from hidden weapons like improvised explosive devices exacts a heavy toll. Compounding the problem is the all-volunteer nature of our armed forces, which often demands multiple deployments of enlistees. This results in frequent cases of post-traumatic stress disorder and families disrupted by the long absence of one and sometimes both parents. The author also discusses the lack of connectedness between civilian society and military personnel, leading to inadequate healthcare for many veterans. This deficiency has been highlighted by the urgent need to treat traumatic brain injuries in survivors of explosions and the high veteran suicide rate. Bouvard concludes on a positive note by discussing some of the surprising and encouraging ways that the chasm between civilian and military life is being bridged to help reintegrate our returning soldiers. For veterans, their families, and especially for civilians unaware of how much our soldiers have endured, The Invisible Wounds of War is important reading.

Genres: Psychology, Military Fiction, Nonfiction

248 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

Marguerite Guzman Bouvard was born in Trieste Italy. She is a former professor of Political Science and poetry workshops, and the author of 20 books in the fields of politics, women's rights, human rights, grief, illness and spirituality.

Reviews

[Elliott · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading this book was a struggle. I felt overwhelmed by the suffering, despair, and defeat... Rather than a linear narrative, this book visits and revisits the stories of servicemembers, usually delving deeply into their last actions before committing suicide and following families as their lives continue with this new, incredible grief.

One the one hand, this book gives a voice to people who should be heard. It tells their stories, it shares their struggles, it tries to create accountability: here is what the VA is doing, here is what could or should have been done. It also shares the projects people are trying to work on to create a sense of community, to connect with civilians, to give veterans opportunities to share their experiences. Valuable!

On the other hand, I guess I was just waiting and waiting for some acknowledgment that some people are proud of their work, proud of their sacrifices, find their service meaningful. Even little things like not capitalizing "the Navy" or "Marine" kind of gave me the feeling that in this narrative, service is not viewed with respect. I think the intent is definitely NOT to show all these folks as hurt or victims, but that is the overall impression the narrative gave me.

[Lydia · Rating 5 out of 5]

An insight to PTSD and wounded veterans who come back from Iraq and Afgahanistan. Eye opening to what families and service men and women go through once back in the States, some only to be sent out again. PTSD is growing among those in the military and not always being treated correctly. Soliders and their families share their stories as well as those who have died due to PTSD. Highly recommend this to all, for a better understanding of those who return from war, only to suffer and not being able to relate to their families or others around them.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bouvard's book is very specifically focused on US forces returning from Iraq and Afghanistan and the costs to them, their families, and their communities. This is a good companion piece to biographies and autobiographies of soldiers and journalists who participated in these conflicts. Not a well-written book and not deeply compelling on its own, in nonetheless rounds out the understanding of how the US decisions to go to war in the Middle East have had long-term repercussions at home.