Flashes of War: Short Stories

by Katey Schultz

Illuminating the intimate, human faces of war, this unique series of short stories by award-winning author Katey Schultz questions the stereotypes of modern war by bearing witness to the shared struggles of all who are touched by it. Numerous characters-returning U.S. soldier and pragmatic jihadist, Afghan mother and listless American sister, courageous amputee and a ghost that cannot let go-appear in Flashes of War, which captures personal moments of fear, introspection, confusion, and valor in one collection spanning nations and perspectives. Written in clear, accessible language with startling metaphors, this unforgettable journey leaves aside judgment, bringing us closer to a broader understanding of war by focusing on individuals, their motivations, and their impossible decisions. Flashes of War weaves intimate portrayals of lives affected by the War on Terror into a distinctive tapestry of emotional resonance. It builds bridges, tears them down, and sends out a universal plea for reconnection.

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories, War

202 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 1, 2013

About the author

Katey Schultz grew up in Portland, Oregon, and is most recently from Celo, North Carolina. She is a graduate of the Pacific University MFA in Writing Program and recipient of the Linda Flowers Literary Award from the North Carolina Humanities Council. She lives in a 1970 Airstream trailer bordering the Pisgah National Forest. Flashes of War is her first book.

Reviews

[Lucas DeOliveira · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I read Katey Schultz’s Flashes of War I was very impressed, for a collection of short stories I felt it was very consistent with good quality stories. I loved the different tones she used throughout the book, where some stories were very slow, and gloomy, while other stories are more fast paced and action based. I love action stories, so the more fast paced stories were more interesting, such as M.I.A, and Checkpoint. But as a whole, I really enjoyed the book, and I was very pleased with Katey Schultz’s interpretation of both wartime Afghanistan and Iraq.
The author does an amazing job telling her stories through the native people in some of her stories like “Stars over Afghanistan” which gives off a strong sense of Afghani pride, which I really enjoyed. She also portrays soldiers during war, and after war, giving a nice contrast, and good insight into their daily struggles even after returning from combat. As a work of fiction, she makes it seem very real by using real world situations, and real world emotions making the stories that much more powerful. Flashes of War is a well written, and at times a controversial work of fiction, her not being in combat gives off the notion that she doesn’t know what she’s writing about. I believe she did comprehensive research on the topic therefore almost filling that void that the experience of combat gives soldiers. Katey Schultz also uses great wordplay and impactful storytelling, which gives you a powerful, and very real insight into people’s lives thousands of miles away. For readers who enjoy wartime stories, and short stories, it’s a must read, and for someone who is looking for a good read, I would also recommend this book.

[Joyce Gilmour · Rating 4 out of 5]

Katey Schultz in Flashes of War totally surprises her readers by the ability to share short stories from many perspectives: those of both military and civilian—American, Afghan, and Iraqi. She shares the consequences of war “on all sides.” The author tells her readers that she “spent 31 out of 36 months traveling across the United States while she wrote Flashes of War.” Her research and passion shine throughout this book. Many readers marvel that someone who has no experience with war can write so astutely on the topic. This book doesn’t bring judgment to the war, but the individual experiences and emotions of people affected—“bringing us closer to a broader understanding of war by focusing on individuals, their motivations, and their impossible decisions.” Readers will find these short stories very powerful. Anyone wanting insight into the War on Terror will want to read Katey Schultz’s Flashes of War. (Reviewed for Military Writers Society of America.)

[Clifford · Rating 5 out of 5]

War is hell, but this collection of short shorts and full-length stories is terrific. I loved the mixes of points of view--male and female soldiers, loved ones on the homefront, Afghan civilians affected by the war . . . you name it. The writing is crisp and fluid, and almost always moving. Well done.

[Tim Costin · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 out of 5 Stars: An Enlightening book that provides readers with unique perspectives of the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars


Unlike the majority of authors who write stories, memoirs and other pieces of literature regarding war and its repercussions, Katey Schultz is in fact not a veteran. One would think that because of this, her work on the war in the Middle East would be less effective or impactful. This is not true by any means. In her book of short stories, Flashes of War, Schultz excels at giving readers a taste of not only the modern wars overseas, but also how brutally it can affect anyone from the United States soldier to an Afghan child. It is these unique perspectives that Schultz writes from that provides readers with experiences that they may not have thought of before, in an unbiased and extremely well-written way.

In some of the stories, Schultz writes about soldiers’ homecomings and how exactly they feel about being home. These stories, such as “Home on Leave,” Permanent Wave,” and “Homecoming” are ones readers may seem familiar with or that they may have read about before. Schultz makes it known what is going on in these soldiers’ minds and how what others say to them or in some cases don’t say makes them feel. Schultz successfully writes these homecomings in different ways, with some being happy or cheerful while others are more somber, especially when Schultz delves deeper into the characters thoughts. Still, when it comes to soldiers, there are many stories of their time in combat. Some are even humorous and quite contrast to the somber stories of loss and death. “MRE’s” is an example as the soldiers attempt to get their stern Commanding Officer to laugh and smile. In a way it is heartwarming how easily Schultz can flip the switch from an emotional perspective.

What makes this book stand above and beyond other works of war literature is the way Schultz gives us more than what we are familiar with. She shows the other side of the war with the civilians and children of the Middle East. It is also how Schultz can tell such different stories that makes it even more memorable. The sad and tragic “My Son Wanted a Notebook,” gives way to a more hopeful and even inspiring story in “Into Pure Bronze.” Later the story “Sima Couldn’t Remember” approaches an aspect in Middle Eastern culture, more specifically how women are treated.

Still, there is another perspective Schultz so successfully presents and that is the how the family members back home feel of their loved ones fighting overseas. We see this in “Deuce Out” and feel sorry for the sister of a soldier who goes overseas, and how she copes with the loneliness without her brother. “Getting Perspective” is similar but goes even deeper as the speaker copes with the loss of the man she loved.
I gave the book four stars out of five because while I did enjoy the individual stories and seeing all the different unique perspectives that Schultz provides, I did not like how short some of them were. Several stories are barely two pages in length and gives us, the reader, no time to learn more about who is in the story or what is happening. This of course is more opinionated and some readers will thoroughly enjoy the way Schultz has written the book. Enough can not be said of her talent as a writer, and the amount of research and preparation she put into writing this book is clear. Schultz successfully has written a book that will at times make you smile or laugh, and at other times force you to put the book down and simply reflect on what you have read. Most importantly, in the end she will leave you craving for more.

[Kevin Troy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not your Typical War Stories 

The book, ​ Flashes of War ​
, by Katey Schultz, is creative, interesting and emotional. 
Schultz does a great job of keeping the reader intrigued and focused throughout the book. She 
does so by incorporating detailed short stories “flashes” of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, 
which are intense and attention­grabbing. Each story offers new topics for discussion, as they are 
all written in different perspectives with individual viewpoints. The well­structured collection of 
stories includes stories ranging from an American soldier’s perspective to a Jihadi woman’s 
perspective. This unique structure keeps the reader on their toes. It gives them a thirst to read on 
and develop new thoughts on the wars. 

The author creates all of these stories based on shared information she received from all 
people who were touched by the wars. Her innovative mind constructs these “flashes,” which 
accurately portray the wars. The stories are interesting since they based are written through a 
multitude of different perspectives. Instead of one war story which might get boring and too 
information­packed, Schultz writes many stories about the wars which are touchy and impactful. 
She grabs the reader’s emotions and straps the reader’s mind on a metaphorical chain to the 
book. The stories latch onto the reader and affect their emotions. 

The book is fictional and the stories are all made up­­­this does not take away from the 
impact of them. The book is more influential than many other war novels which are straight­up 
and repetitive. Schultz turns the tide by including multiple stories that are realistic and creative. 
Each story is told differently through different perspectives. One story “Home on Leave” 
describes a soldier named Bradley’s experience while back home. Another story “With the 
Burqa” describes a Jihadi woman who wears a burqa through one of her students. Schultz mixes 
up the stories through an array of perspectives which sparks interest. The stories she writes are 
extremely emotional. The story “The Notebook” describes a poor Jihadi boy that has nothing. 
His parents finally collect enough money to get him a notebook which he desired for writing and 
drawing in. As he leaves for school that day, he is killed by a car explosion as his parents watch. 
Schultz emotional stories greatly impact the reader and give them an understanding of the wars. 

The book incredibly describes the war through these short stories which leave strong 
impact. The reader definitely has a better knowledge of the wars after reading the book. If you 
are the type of person who gets bored reading lengthy novels which can be repetitive and boring, 
then this is definitely a good read since it is the exact opposite of that. The book is creative, 
interesting and emotional. I strongly recommend this to anyone who wants to understand more 
about the wars in Afghanistan/ Iraq or wars in general.  

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

As someone who does not read war stories that often, I didn’t particularly enjoy this book. The word book is also a bit of a stretch; this is more of an anthology. It’s a collection of stories that has no really clear connection as far as characters or plotlines. Now this is not to say that this was not well written. Katey Schultz, the author, is a brilliant writer. I just prefer my stories to be linear and build a plot throughout the whole book.
This particular style of writing, flash fiction, seems to be Schultz’s specialty. She has written another book, this one is actually labeled anthology, which is called Bite. She writes very well in this style. She seems to have a good grasp of how to create a story in a short period of time. However, it doesn’t seem like the correct style to use for this kind of topic. To me, writing a fictional story about the wars over in the Middle East should be something with a lot of substance that a reader could get sucked into. A longer story would make it easier for the reader to get into the shoes of the characters.
Schultz does a good job portraying the emotional sides of her characters, despite having such a short time to do so. She establishes relationships with other characters on more than just a physical level. She shows how they interact personally, like between a man and his dog. Other books or stories that I have read about the Iraq or Afghanistan war have not covered this side of it at all. Schultz dives deep into what she believes to be the psyche of the soldiers or civilians in these places. Despite the fact that she has never been in any of these situations, she seems to have done a good job capturing the emotions of those involved. I can’t give a definite answer on this because I have never been in any of these situations.
These stories were very well written and thought out. It really illustrates how much research Schultz did when she is able to give so much information even though she has never done any of these things. The fact that she did any research at all shows how much she really cares about not only the Americans fighting over seas but also those who have no part in the war. These people that are just trying to live their lives but are forced to either leave their homes or live in a war zone.
Most of the stories had a solid American bias, which only makes sense because Shultz is an American writer. Even the stories that had characters that were Iraqi or Afghani seemed to never show Americans in a particularly bad light. Now this is not a bad thing, it just makes the book seem to have a big bias toward the American perspective as opposed to being neutral.
Over all Flashes of War was a well-written book. The way it was presented was not what I normally read or prefer, and the bias are the only things that I can find any fault in.

[David Coughlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Flashes of War has a unique fictional approach based on the Iraq and Afghanistan unlike traditional war stories. By itself, Katey Schultz’s work is an easy read. Many short stories form her book. Most of the war stories I have read are usually about a depicted group of characters whose lives change dramatically through a course of tragic events. But Schultz does not write about an evolution, she writes about perception. Like an artist would view a sculpture, Schultz views the Iraqi and Afghan conflicts from different angles in her writing with alternating settings and changes the characters from American to Middle Eastern.
Some of the best novels based on other significant wars, such as Vietnam or World War II, were written by actual eyewitnesses who lived these events, but did not publish their work until years later. Currently, not all the stories from Iraq and Afghanistan have unfolded and history has not ceased to be written. From my understanding, Shultz is not a soldier who actually fought in the cities she wrote her pieces about, but she has done extensive research in her fiction to make her audience feel as though her work is true.
The news is limited to all of the true facts because the truth is either censored or is unknown. Schultz makes an honest attempt to link these pieces together to form stories that connect fiction to reality. In these stories, she depicts her characters as real human beings and we pretend as though we know them personally. However, we do not normally view people this way. In the news, we view casualties as a statistic, but Flashes of War changes the way we think and each individual, in real life, is given a more purposeful meaning. Not all of stories about the minds of American soldiers. Some are about the innocent lives of Afghan families and their daily struggles from the oppression of the Taliban and relentless violence taking over their homeland.
My favorite example of what she is trying to convey comes from one of her pieces, “KIA.” Glancing at the text it is just a list of items belonging to an American soldier after he has passed. In general, we would view her work as a bunch of stuff, but it has a more significant meaning. Each item has its own story woven into the list about who he loves, his family, and his personality. You feel closer to this individual and greatens your empathy for all of our soldiers who sacrificed their lives in the midst of combat.
I personally liked Flashes of War and think it is good read for anyone. Not only does Schultz have a spin on how classic war stories are told, but also her writing changes thought and opinion of the Middle Eastern conflicts. She puts an emphasis on the importance of human life and does not limit our view of war to just combat and death.

[Braden Foster]

Flashes of War, by Katey Schultz, is a terrific collection of short stories that will yank on your emotions from beginning to end. Despite never participating in the war, Schultz beautifully captures every point of view involved: soldiers, veterans, family members, and iraqi/afghani citizens. From these viewpoints, she forms an entire universe around the characters with only a few short pages, sometimes less than a page. With minimal amount of space to develop a storyline, Schultz entirely pulls the reader into the life of her characters. When reading certain short stories included, such as “Home on Leave,” “Getting Perspective,” and “My Son Wanted a Notebook,” it was difficult to put down the story from the first words. Even better, the stories are all so short that many individuals ones can be finished in one sitting.

While I thoroughly enjoyed reading many short stories as opposed to one long story, it did take a toll on my emotions. For example (spoiler alert), “My Son Wanted a Notebook” was only about one page long and brings the reader along a roller coaster of feelings. It begins with a boy who, as the title suggests, wants a notebook. He gets money from his mom, some of the little money that the family has, and he goes to the store to get one and improve his education. However, after he leaves, a roadside bomb explodes and the boy is killed as an unfortunate casualty of war. In one page, Schultz catapults the reader through joy and optimism for this young child, then horror, sadness and anger as the child is killed. The weight that the child's parents must be feeling is on the shoulders of the reader. In one page, I developed a connection to the kid that was surprisingly strong.

Flashes of War is a very well written series of stories which excellently captures the lives of all those involved in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Since it is not one long novel but a collection of short stories, it is a very quick, easy read that can be continued with a few minutes here and there. However it is so emotionally taxing that it perhaps cannot be read all at a time. This books greatest feature, it's ability to create an emotional connection to the text, makes it difficult to complete.

P.S. An honorable mention is the short story “KIA,” which is simply a list of items that would be found in the room of a soldier who died in battle. There are no sentences, only items listed out and sorted into the areas of the room which they are found. Even by naming items, Schultz exquisitely describes the life of this soldier and paints of picture of the aftermath of his sacrifice.

[Debra Hartmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was a bit hesitant about this book because I don’t usually read war based anything, but it was flash fiction short stories and the media kit that Katey sent with her request for an honest review was incredibly professional. I knew I shouldn’t pass up the opportunity to see what this young writer was up to. I was not disappointed, in fact, this is one of the best books I have read! The many reviewers before me have talked about what the stories are about and how wonderful the writing is and I agree with all of them. My favorite points are how real the character’s perspectives were. The whole thing is crafted without the influence of author intrusion that would have made the stories biased in one way or another. Both traits of an exceptionally talented writer. I also noticed other reviewers talked about how on point everything she wrote was, from reviewers that read a lot of war based fiction and from reviewers with their own experiences where Ms. Schultz had none, but certainly did her due diligence to create this masterpiece. Overall, it’s the perfect balance between creativity and research.

I imagine that most human beings have some type of connection to war at some point in history or another and the lack of a connection is potentially more the exception than the rule, it’s sad to say. Flashes of War is a must read, regardless of genre preferences. Many only really know what the media shares about war, what history tells us, what family or friends talk about, and so on; these stories let the reader into the head of the point of view characters like no camp fire story or news story ever can. This is not a typical read about war, this is unique and brilliant!

My only complaint is that it was all too short, but that’s why I tend to avoid flash fiction in general, holding out for a longer read. I would have made a mistake and robbed myself of this wonderful read though. I have this author on my watch list now, while the stories drew me in but left me wanting, it was the author’s skill that I’m sure will be present in everything she writes, that actually made me feel as I read every word. As you decide if this purchase is right for you, definitely look up the author to see how she has immersed her entire lifestyle into her work and how she researches her writing projects to fully understand how much she invests in every word to ensure the reader’s enjoyment. Her website tagline, “writer @ large” is perfect and a testament of her dedication to the craft!

[Richard Del · Rating 4 out of 5]

It can be difficult to find high quality works on contemporary events, especially in the realm of fiction. The all too human vice of bias has a tendency to infiltrate and poison even the most ostentatiously fair pieces of literature. Katey Schultz’s Flashes of War manages to overcome this issue, due to both its organization as a series of vignettes and the author’s keen sense of character. The stories are at times hard to read, but even harder to put down. Schultz is excellent at telling stories of humans forced into inhumane situations. One particularly memorable story, Checkpoint, involves a tragic miscommunication in hand gestures leading to the death of an innocent family. A combination of cultural differences, lack of effective communication, and one crucial failed understanding leads to a negative whole. Incredibly short stories such as these help expand understanding, and paint a complete, mournful portrait of a broken populace, a strained army, and the lack of attention they get on the homefront.
That is not to say that the collection does not have flaws. After a series of grounded stories about the very human events of the war, Schultz sees fit to place a story about a disembodied spirit trapped to the earth by its inability to let go from the past. The story, entitled The Ghost of Sanchez is fine, but it is jarring in context. Magical realism is used by many works to include more fantastical elements while maintaining a foot in reality, but without gradual escalation it can seem out of place. The other minor issue is the organization of the collection. Near the beginning and towards the end of the work, there is a fairly even balance of locations and perspectives, going from civilians to soldiers to people in the US. Towards the middle however, it becomes incredibly focused on the perspective of the United States’ military , and while the works are still high quality, I found myself longing for the variety of viewpoints to return.
While ostentatiously, there are a few quirks with the storytelling and the organization of the stories, these issues are by no means detrimental to the work as a whole. While I was reading the vignettes, I was thoroughly engrossed, and I feel as though I gained both education and entertainment. Flashes of War is a consistently high quality collection, and is a rare example of high quality contemporary military fiction.

[Dylan Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dylan Adams
Flashes Of War Book Review

Reading for some is tedious, as I would know being a college student. Most of the time the material we read is bland and not the most exciting. Yet that was not the case for Flashes of war by Katey Schultz , which I have been reading in my Analysis of Literature class.

In my opinion, Flashes of war, was a very well written collection of fiction short stories, that embrace all aspects of the War on Terror. Schultz does an excellent job of encompassing multiple viewpoints from which war is seen, as well as the experiences that go along with them. All though it is fiction, you can tell that she took her time and did many hours of research to make these short stories as accurate as possible. This style of writing that Schultz takes on makes her like a messenger for those that have been involved in some type of war conflict. The emotion and feeling that is betrayed in the stories helps the reading get in contact with people’s emotions as well as connect to the characters. Lastly, she helps civilians understand war better and see what the men and women fighting with our country deal with.

Even though Schultz has many positives to go along with her book, there are some negatives. The first thing I picked up while reading the stories were that many did in fact take the viewpoint of American soldiers, the reason I think this is negative is because it created a bias towards the US. Another limitation would be that it not for the sensitive reader. Some of the stories can get very revealing and graphic. For example there is a love scene that is described somewhat vividly, as well as a roadside bomb accident that is graphic and gory.

Overall, Schultz did a great job with writing this book and reveals a wealth of knowledge for anyone who reads it. It is an easy read as most stories are only a couple of pages, so it doesn't take more than five minutes to read one. I would recommend this to anyone especially civilians interested in learning about war; yet, like I mentioned it can get graphic and revealing. In that case I recommend this book to mature audiences, such as kids in high school, adults, and it would even be great for war veterans. If you are interested in seeing the other side of war I suggest you read this book.

[Christopher Winbourne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Flashes of War by; Katey Schultz is a great book comprised of short stories bouncing from US soldier to middle eastern civilian. The stories themselves are not long but each will grip your attention and make you contemplate it deeper. Some may be too long and dragged out for example Getting Perspective is eleven pages about a woman whose husband left for the war and never came back to her and their child. This story kept your attention by having small pictures of soldiers between paragraphs, but if you need to add something like that to your short story to keep someone interested in it then it may be too long. I am not saying it is a bad one I personally found it interesting to view war from the loved one's perspective but it could have ended earlier or brought down to less pages.
The first story in the book is short but in the shortness it brings about an exciting action tale of a seal fighting insurgents along a river bank. Amidst the fighting he thinks about how people in America do not care for the war and says, “while the rest of America is at the mall,” he says that because instead of people donating to the war effort and caring for soldiers they would rather shop at a mall and forget there was a war. There are many stories like this talking about soldier’s thoughts while away in war, but some of the ones i prefer are the stories of the ones who return home from the war. For example That Sunday Morning Feeling talks about a soldier who returned home and what he does and loves about every sunday morning with his family.
Viewing multiple perspectives like this can be difficult for some to keep interested but I believe younger audiences will like this book especially if their thoughts are of joining the military one day. It will give them perspective on how life at war is like for the soldier and for the opposing force. Along with the ones they leave at home waiting for the day when they return to loving arms. This books could have been written by numerous people or veterans, but Mrs. Schultz gives in great detail stories that are so close to reality they almost do not even seem works of fiction. This book was a great read and written in great detail, some minor adjustments could have been made to keep the reader on track but overall it seemed to flow nicely from story to story.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

In her book Flashes of War, Katy Schultz provides literal “Flashes”­- brief vignettes of the war from various perspectives. These small insights add up to provide an all-encompassing understanding of the situation with regards to the war.

One thing which wowed me was Schultz’s ability to truly put herself into the minds of her characters--whether it be American soldiers, Iraqi/Afghani children and families, or the grief stricken family members of soldiers killed in action. The author definitely appears to have done her research, or to have an extremely active imagination. It’s practically a psychological examination of the effects of war on all the different parties-- both military and civilians--involved. Initially, I believed the stories were all true accounts. It was somewhat disappointing when I found out that the stories weren’t true accounts; however I’m sure that many many similar true stories exist based on the war. In tone Schultz finds that refreshing balance between U.S. military patriotism and active criticism of the war; this neutrality was perhaps an effect of the focus on the character in the height of war rather than on the writer’s personal biases.

Several stand-out stories for me included,“My Son Wanted a Notebook”, in which an Iraqi boy is killed by a suicide bomber during a run to the store to buy a notebook; “With the Burqa,” which juxtaposes the “freedom” granted by the American forces in allowing a women to wear her burqa while bringing death and destruction to her home (she decides to wear the burqa); “KIA,” a painfully sad snippet of the personal effects of a soldier killed; “Aseya and Rahim,” a story about 2 newlyweds in an arranged marriage trying to get by, and “Into Pure Bronze,” about 2 Iraqi kids who played soccer in the verdant soccer stadium at night in hopes of a better future.

The short stories cast an array of emotions, most leave traces of melancholy or bittersweet. Maybe it was my state of mind, but I couldn’t read it straight through because, at times, the material got rather weighty. I’m not usually one to delve into the war-genre, however many of the stories were powerful in their effect. After reading this book, I have the vague and indefinable feeling, that somehow I have a closer connection to the war and a better understanding of its effects.

[Robert Hines · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading the book “Flashes of War” by Katey Schultz, it engulfed my mind with all different opinions, thoughts, and ideas. This book is different from many others, and that is because it is giving a different insight than most books do. It tells stories from during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, but from multiple different angles. It gives viewpoints from each side fighting, but also the viewpoints from helpless citizens that have been caught in the middle of the brutality, with nothing to do but wait and see what else happens.
It tells war stories, and stories from soldiers, stories that we get to see from their point of view, we get to see what they have gone through, a picture painted much more imaginable than ever before. There is much controversy when these stories are told though. People criticize the book because they say that Schultz wasn’t actually there in combat, yet she is writing about scenarios as if she was. I believe that she can write what she wants. No, she wasn’t there, so she doesn’t have any clue what its actually like and the toll that it takes on a person, but she has put countless time and effort into her research so she can try and tell these stories through the eyes of the people she writes about. With this being said, at the end of the day, the story is still fiction so technically, she can write about whatever she wants, in whatever way she chooses to portray it. What I also noticed while reading the story is that Schultz is a bit biased towards the United States as she writes her stories. Whether it is intentional or not, it doesn’t bother me like it might to others. It could just be the way that the information was given to her, if it was made out to seem like the United States are the good guys.
At the end of the day, I could go online and do some research and get all the information that was given to us in these stories, but the way Schultz tells it is quite simply, amazing. With the language and the word choice she uses, she does seem to make it like she was there, even though she was not. She put in all the time and effort, just to tell stories that would otherwise go untold if it were not for Schultz. All and all, I did like the story “Flashes of War” by Katey Schultz, and I would most certainly recommend it.

[James Dixon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book Review of Flashes of War
I’ll start by saying that this is definitely one of the most interesting works of fiction about a very real topic that I have ever read. In this collection of short stories about the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, author Katey Schultz, who never served in either of the these conflicts, does a wonderful job in giving the reader an unbiased glimpse into the personal experiences of all who were affected by these wars. Her stories are fiction but based on truth and reality of war that some other writers tend to miss when writing on the same topic. For example, some other writers tend to either romanticize or demonize fictional war stories; I found Schultz avoided this.
The reason I view her writing as unbiased is because of the fact that she never actually served in the Armed Forces and doesn’t fall into the trap of trying to make her short stories sound “macho.” More so, they feel real to me. For example, the short story “Press the Flesh,” about a US soldier’s mission to make their presence know in an area of operation. This story in particular avoids the “war hero” effect, were the writer would mention who him/herself or character was in some way a hero. Yet the same effect could be used in reverse where the author demonizes this topic. Where instead of that, Schultz just tells the story of a soldier with a seeming simple mission. I also found it very interesting to read the shorts she wrote from the Iraqis or Afghans perspective, their stories are important too and need to be told even if it's through realistic fiction. An example of this would be her story “Stars over Afghanistan”, about an Afghan man’s struggle to keep his pride and home safe during the US occupation of his town. I feel that anyone reading this will truly like how her stories are just long enough to get the message out but don’t drag on with lengthy character development and other melodrama. If you are looking for a war story with all the tradition “fixin’s” I would should suggest another book, but if you want a good easy read with powerful messages, interesting perspectives, and without most biases seen today in the media, I would would recommend reading Katey Schultz’s work Flashes of War.

[Conor Sherman · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Flashes of War”Grabbing Readers All Around
When my teacher first assigned us this collection of short stories to read, just like every other book, I wasn’t too intrigued by the idea of reading. But once I actually opened it and started reading I could not put the book down! Not to mention, the fact that it’s a fictional book is somewhat remarkable.
For someone trying to write a collection of short stories like the ones in “Flashes of War”, I don’t think they could do what the author, Katey Schultz, has done here. She not only writes as if she was there in the scene seeing everything happen at once, but also makes you, the reader, feel like you were standing right next to her also apart of the action. The way she does it is by using very descriptive detail.
In every story in the book, Schultz draws out everything so clearly for everyone to picture. She describes setting with not only where it is, but also what the weathers like, trees that are losing their leaves in the middle of the fall, scorching heat shining down from the blazing sun, just little things that build up the whole picture for setting. When it comes to the characters she likes to mention what their wearing, when they’ve been shot what emotions are running through thier mind, and just what kind of person they are, whether they're a serious type, comical, or a mellow person. One of the best stories to help explain this would be “KIA” on page 69. Even though there aren’t any actual soldiers in the story, she describes the inventory of one’s personal belongings of Specialist Donald R. Swaringon so vividly. Not only does she say what item he has, but also mentions the brands, how many of each, stuff that you and I would not see as that important but are.
Katey Schultz did more than enough to catch the reader's attention with all of her stories. Whether you approved of the War or not, and whether you enjoy reading stuff on the war, you have to give credit where credit is deserved. And Katey Schultz deserves all the credit in the world for her writings in “Flashes of War.” If I can stay hooked, then so can you.

[Brant Wilkinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Flashes of War by Katey Schultz offers an emotional experience by presenting the reader with short stories that revolve around war. Flashes of War will be a good read for you if you enjoy reading: succinct and digestible stories, powerful imagery, and subject matter that has been thoroughly researched.

This book is divided into many short stories. Some as short as one page, and the longest spanning less than a dozen or so pages. If you enjoy reading short stories, that get to the point quickly than you will enjoy this book. The subject matter is widely varied and from a variety of different viewpoints, but remains focused on an overarching theme of war. There are stories that revolve around American soldiers, Iraqi children, and Afghani women just to name a few. This spread in perspective was a welcome sight for myself; however, if you like your novels to focus around a grand central story with main characters you may not find this book appealing.

Katey Schultz excellent use of imagery is apparent throughout the book. The stories described the desert heat in great detail, in one of the stories a bottle of water (although warm) seemed to be absolutely thirst quenching to me, the reader. I enjoy books that have the ability to have such vivid imagery; however, her prose also has the power to cause one to become quite downtrodden. Some of the stories encompass love and loss, and life and death, moreover making the tone of the overall book quite grim. It must be noted that I found these stories were best read in short sittings, as it was easy for me to become sensitive to the rather depressive material. I say this just as a precaution, and others may not have the same trouble.

An important part of the book: “Interview with the Author” gives some valuable insight into how Katey Schultz was able to write a book that seemed to be the voice of soldiers, citizens, dependents etc. Her intense research and passion for this subject matter is tangible. Although a book of fiction Katey Schultz is able to tell stories with an expert level of prose and powerful imagery which translated to a thoroughly enjoying read.

[Robert Bach · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Fantastic Fictitious War Story


Flashes of War is a book full of inspiring short stories from the point of view of American soldiers as well as Iraqi and Afghani civilians during the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts. The most interesting point about this book is that I was written by a woman who has no connection or experience with veterans or survivors of that time. As some see that as a major flaw and even an insult, I view it as one of the book's strongest traits. She took the time to research and reach out to veterans and their family members to help influence her book and in the end, even with no prior experience, was able to capture many different views along with the waves of emotion that complement each story. One minute you are reading a sad and depressing story titled “My son wanted a notebook” about an Iraqi woman that lost her son to a car bomb, and the next minute you read a more light hearted story titled “Home on Leave” which takes a dive into what it must be like for soldiers coming home from iraq and being thrust into the real world for a short time.
I have read many war stories, primarily from soldiers and sailors of WW2, and almost all of them come from the view of a single individual in a larger unit. While this isn't always a problem it doesn't give you an overall view of the experiences that the unit faces individually . Schultz fixes this issue by providing many views among very different people on and off the battlefield. I would rate this book 4 stars as it is a great read with a sea of emotional and inspiring stories about experiences that a select few face and schultz tries her best to capture these experiences with no prior knowledge herself and manages to hit it home rather well. My only complaint would be that she tries a bit too hard on some of the stories she writes and sometimes I found it a bit unbelievable. Overall the book was very good and I would recommend it to military enthusiasts and students alike.

[Conner Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Flashes of War is book written by Katey Schultz who is a developing writer that is from Portland,Oregon. “Katey Schultz grew up in Portland Oregon...She is a graduate of the Pacific University and received the Linda Flowers Literary Award”(Schultz 1). The book Flashes Of War is composed of a series of short stories from multiple perspectives all centered around war. The stories within in the book are written well and at first read would appear to be the first hand accounts of someone who has been affected by war. However, Katey Schultz is not a veteran, this is where I run into a problem with the book. When I found out that schultz was not actually affected by the war I personally felt that her stories had lost their legitimacy.
Despite the fact that I thoroughly enjoyed all the stories in the book I feel that they are lacking in authenticity. It is clear to me that Schultz has a high level of respect for not only American Soldiers but Afghani and Iraqi citizens. This is evident due to stories from the American perspective such as “WIA,MIA and Home On Leave”. Stories such as First Commander on page 87 describes the effects of war from the perspective of an Iraqi child. Although the stories appear to accurately portray the different perspectives I can not escape the fact that they are fiction. If I was a veteran or an Iraqi citizen that had been affected by war I would be Insulted that Shultz was writing about something she had not experienced. I, like Schultz am not a veteran, so I can not speak for veterans as a whole.
I would recommend this book to anyone who is enjoys a good fiction book about the wars in the Middle East. I would especially encourage veterans to read this book so they can form their own opinion about the stories. Having said that I would not recommend the book to someone who is trying to gain an understanding of what actually occurs in war. For this I would recommend a book written by someone who has served in the military.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Flashes of War, by Katey Schultz, is this generation's updated version of The Things They Carried. It offers incredibly touching insights into the modern war experience, not only for American soldiers, but also for their families, fighters of the opposition, local families caught in the middle, and for almost any point of view you can think of. Her stories feel real, and bear some weight despite their often concise nature, some of which are barely more than a page. These raw snapshots into the lives of warriors of all types, be they soldiers or families or loved ones or even just children on the street, feel incredibly substantial. That said, there were some tales that seemed just a bit tall (“Ghost of Sanchez” springs to mind). In a few of these stories, she seems to be trying too hard to delve into the mind of veterans. The beauty of many of her stories is that they are very to the point, their poignancy and believability comes from their simplicity. They are a good reminder that this book was written by someone who has never seen combat, nor has immediate family with experience in these wars. This book was written (quite well to my way of seeing things) by a total civilian seeking to understand what the effects of the war have been. I think that this adds extra to the value to the book, since most of us can not actually relate directly to any of the experiences. She did a lot of research (according to herself anyway), and whether the reader is a civilian who has always wondered, or a veteran who has lived it, this book inevitably offers some view that the reader has not thought of before. This book starts the discussions about the war that everyone should have. I could see myself recommending this book to friends who just like short stories, to war buffs, to veterans just to hear their thoughts, or to anyone who just loves to read.

[Connor Murphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve never been a big reader, so I have never really gotten into war fiction, or even a factual war book, for that matter. That being said, Flashes of War wouldn’t be my first choice of a book to read, had I known the details of it. It took me to a place I didn’t think I’d have to go when reading a book. Looking back at it, I suppose it opened my mind to problems that occur in veterans lives and made me sympathize with Iraqi, Afghan and US civilians/veterans. It was almost an uncomfortable book to read at times which just goes to show it is a very powerful read, but just not my cup of tea.
Katey Schultz does a very good job portraying the emotion behind the war on all sides, and does a good job to stay unbiased. She shares facts through short stories about both Iraqis, Afghans and Americans that show the hardships and emotional stress they have to go through, and it makes you realize all people involved in the wars were affected in similar ways. Although she has no combat experience or anything of the sort, she does a fantastic job in getting the points and emotions across that she intended. For example, in the story “Homecoming,” the reader can get a feel for the hardships that an individual may face when coming home. Coming home is what every soldier looks forward to and works for. Its supposed to be the best day ever and this story shows that we all may have a skewed idea of what it’s really like. The main character, Bradley, comes home and simply can’t fit in. He tries to go out and be himself but nothing at home is the same. It’s a scary and sad truth about a very common scenario that many veterans may face.
Overall it was an extremely well written book and it brings you to a place you may not want to go. It shows the bad side of war and the permanent effects it can have on families, civilians, and veterans alike.

[Andrew DeCarteret · Rating 5 out of 5]

Flashes of War by Katey Schultz did an exceptional job with incorporating what the war on terror is really like. Schultz, does a good job in giving us a few different views of how people see war, along with some of the experiences that people have had. Examples include the perspective of someone actively in War, someone that is impacted but not associated with War, someone recovering from War, and many more. Despite the fact that the stories are fiction, it is evident that she did a good job in making them accurate.
The writer uses an interesting style of writing that almost portrays her as a messenger of sorts for people in times of war. She uses a very good appeal to the emotional side of the reader by connecting with the characters. There are gruesome and difficult parts in some of the short stories that make the reader relate more to the characters. Lastly, she does a good job in helping civilians really comprehend what war is and what the soldiers have to go through.
Despite Shultz’s good writing style and ability to show us what things are like during war, she did have some negatives aspects.The biggest issue was that the majority of the viewpoints were from that of an American soldier which creates a bias towards America. Another minor issue was that the stories could be exceptionally graphic and violent which might not always be a good way for certain readers to comprehend something.
In conclusion, the writer does an overall good job in giving the reader an opportunity to learn about what war is. The writing is a relatively easy read while at the same time it still provided a good amount of knowledge for the readers. As far as recommendations, I would say this is a great writing to read if anyone wanted to really see the workings of war, however the violence in the stories might appeal more to young adults.

[Steven Sullivan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This collection of short stories “flashes of war” was very well written. Katey Schultz was not a soldier herself but writes in the view of soldiers and what they are going through. Although I think this book is well written and has strong content it does not mean I agree with all of the ideologies portrayed in it.
The short stories really focus on the “short” part. This book is easy to read because the the stories are so short. You don’t have to take a lot of time out to read it. You can easily read it piece by piece in little breaks throughout the day.
This book uses adult language and violent situations but I would recommend this book to high school readers. It is a good way to show kids who have not really been exposed to what is really is going on overseas and what has happened. This is a good introduction to what is happening because although the stories are violent and heart wrenching they are fiction. The younger readers will be able to get a view of how nasty war is without being exposed to stories of real people.
Although most of these stories are mostly pro war they often portray a view of weakness and sorrow. I understand that you can’t ignore the ugliness you have to take it with a grain of salt. War is ugly, people are going to die, people are going to get injured, and the civilians are not going to like the fact the war is happening around them.
This are well written stories and are a good way to show the younger generation what is really going on. Other than that I would not recommend this book to people who are looking for legitimate outlooks on the war. I believe those should look more to a nonfiction story told by soldiers who have been there.

[Kyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

War is tough, but this assortment of full length and short stories is wonderful. Flashes of War does exactly what the title suggests, gives us a ‘flash’ of what war can really be like. If you’re interested in learning more about the war then this is the perfect book for you. Katey Schultz does ample amounts of research in order to create each fictional piece that all tell different stories, and it shows.

This book is filled with a mixture of perspectives whether it be soldiers - male or female, Iraqis, children or loved ones at home. Schultz does an impressive job compiling all of these stories together to create a realistic picture in the reader's head. She makes the events and characters seem as if they actually happened and as if they were real.

It was hard to pick a story that I enjoyed the most in the book, but a few that caught my eye (literally) where Home on Leave, Just the Dog, and Deuce Out. Home on Leave dealt with the trouble a young soldier faces when he returns home to his family, he feels like the world's been moving without him. Just the Dog was a shorter story but got the message across, the man and dog had a connection like no other; he could tell what his dog was thinking without using words. Deuce Out was about a brother and sister that did everything together, then the brother enlists in the Army and his sister feels as though it’s her duty to do the same.

After reading Flashes of War cover to cover I would highly recommend this book to anyone. It doesn’t matter if you’re interested in war or not, once you finish this book I promise you will be. Schultz brings the characters and their stories to life even though they are simply a work of fiction.

[Josh DeSousa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Josh DeSousa
FOW Book Review

I really liked the book for a number of reasons. I like the way the book was compiled, the different perspectives, and they way the author made each story significant. One of the reasons was it was numerous short stories and not a full work. The short stories made it a lot easier to take and understand. And for example, if one story didn't make sense, it doesn't matter for the following stories to make sense. They are all individual thoughts.
Another thing I enjoyed were the different perspectives involved in the book. It went from the perspective of the citizens of Iraq to the American soldier to the widow wife of an American soldier. Even though I feel like the book leaned against the American forces a tad, it is important to view the other side of our wars. One of the stories in the Flashes of War I really enjoyed were about the two Afghani boys who snuck into the soccer stadium at night to play. The boy, the orphan, shared a little bit of the horrific acts he witnessed, and it kind of gave a gentle insight on what went on over there, in the perspective of a innocent child.
Each story has significance too. Because each one has a different perspective, each story is significant in a different way. Such as, for the perspective of an American soldier to perspective of an Iraqi child. The American soldier would probably express the issues and feeling of fighting the war, and the Iraqi child would probably express sadness and fear.
Overall, I recommend this book and I really enjoyed. I especially like the different perspectives, and the individual short stories.

[Jack Rowden · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Katey Schultz's collections of short narratives for me was a great group of stories pertaining to the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. It shows the effects of the war from multiple points of view. One point I really like was the views of the American families and how the war took over and affected what was going on in their everyday life. The different angles that Schultz captured really show the sides of war that one might not think of. A few of the stories that stuck to me had to do with the soldier that had just came back and were suffering through PTSD. Having a family member that has hadto work through the struggles of this, I had a much better connection to the book. Hearing my father talk about the struggles in life that comes with going over One story a man was walking his dog and heard a sound. He tensed up and prepared for the worse. As the story went on it goes to show that he was in his neighborhood walking his dog. This showed this military member dealing with an activity that a lot of people do and the effect that the war had on him makes this activity seem like he is in a war zone. As a military kid, I could relate to this, having been around family and friends who have fought and seen what has gone over-seas. But this is a work of fiction, which depending on who is reading, might bother them. For example, someone who has fought in the war may not like this. Knowing a lot of people who have fought in the war, I assume they might not feel the same way I did about the book. Someone making up stories about events that happened might bother people who have dedicated their lives to protecting this country.

[Jake Wood · Rating 4 out of 5]

An Insight to a different Side of War
As long as people have been able to write, and even long before then, they have been telling stories of war. Whether they are historically accurate or purely fictional they all stay true to similar themes. Katey Schultz’s book, Flashes of War, stays true to these themes. Although all the stories in this book are fictional her research stands true to many occurrences a soldier may face while deployed. These themes include loss, courage, death, fear, and freedom. It’s safe to say that there will be a story in this book for you. If you’re looking for excitement or something heartfelt, this book has it all. It is unconventional in the sense that it’s not a novel. However, the short stories that make up this book will elicit all the same thoughts and emotions as a typical novel would.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. One of the things I enjoyed about this book is that they show multiple viewpoints. They give the reader an idea of what every side sees and how they interpret war. The setting of the stories in this book take place during the Iraq/ Afghanistan Wars. Some of them are seen through the eyes of the Americans while others take the viewpoint of Afghan or Iraqi civilians who are caught up in the war. These are often the people who are affected the most and it is interesting to read a story about a side that we don’t often hear about. All in all, this was a fascinating book that created a better understanding of all the different sides of war, from enemy to enemy, and the civilians caught in the middle of it all.

[Justin Pickering · Rating 5 out of 5]

In reading "Flashes of War", I began to understand many aspects of war. Even though Schultz did not serve herself, she did a phenomenal job of voicing herself as one of them. As we read, we understand the extreme research and deep thought that went into every single short story. When first beginning to read this story, I felt a tad bit confused as to how to look at this book as a whole. Just from reading all the short stories individually, It was hard to analyze this book all together.

From reading through these stories, I noticed that in a few of the stories, Schultz was biased towards both American and American troops. When reading these stories, many of them are from an American perspective and show sympathy towards Americans. For example, reading the story "Amputee". After reading this, I realized that Schultz was sympathizing towards Americans using an amputated limb. She uses sympathy of an amputated limb to show sympathy towards a soldier who does not want it. Throughout many of these stories, she shows extra sympathy towards American’s.

Aside from being biased towards American’s, I though Schultz did a tremendous job of voicing her stories from the point of soldiers even though she never was a part of war. Throughout the stories, we can see the extreme research and hard work these stories took to come out the way they are. Overall I thought this was a very solid book.

[Joseph Atallah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Flashes of war definitely made me better understand a world I knew very little about. This world is the war in Afghanistan and Iraq. I never really thought much about the wars seeing as though I want to join a non combat branch of service. However, The war in Afghanistan and Iraq was and is a big controversy today and is always being talked about; however, i still didn't know much about it, specially the people that were actually involved in these conflicts. Reading the Flashes of War showed stories about a variety of things from the experiences the soldiers went through, the issues the natives went through, the lifestyles of both the soldiers and the natives, living back as a civilian after being in the military and fighting one of these wars, and even the thoughts of soldiers on the battlefield. Even though the book is classified as fiction, it still captures real life feelings and emotions and lifestyles of both the soldiers and the natives. Every story is personal, emotional, inspiring, and interesting. It takes what you hear about in the news (all the horrible things about war) and puts it in a soldier or natives perspective allowing you to actually feel a type of emotion with the person being talked about. Reading Flashes of War I learned much about the military and the natives lifestyles and experiences in these wars and actually got to feel emotions doing so giving me a better understanding on the things that went on in these wars.

[Mike Panettieri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Flashes of War, by Katey Schultz is a very interesting collection of short war stories. For me, I thought this was a great feature of the collection of stories. Schultz captures the reader by not only showing the perspective of an American, but of civilians of Afghani and Iraqi . Families, innocent civilians and children's perspectives are seen in these short stories. This would be a great collection of short stories to start teenagers with if they’re looking to get into war stories. The different viewpoints can show a reader how there is always many sides to the story, not just one. In my opinion, this is a really valuable part to these short stories.
Another thing that adds value to reading this novel is the emotional factor behind every short story. Some readers may have to be careful with the explicit and adult content, however it adds a positive factor to it overall. These emotions, whether happy or sad, depressed or anxious, bring the short stories you will read closer to your own lives and hearts. One of the short stories, “MIA”, is a perfect example of why these short war stories are emotional and connect on a personal level. This talks about a soldier going through a tough time in the war, and how it affects his family back at home.
Katey Schultz has made her fiction short stories connect on a personal level with her readers. War is not an easy topic to create literature for, but when Schultz puts it all together it works together.