Rachel's War

As soon as I started reading Rachel's War, I knew it was going to be a fantastic book. The story grabbed me in the beginning and held my interest till the end. I could feel the passion, joy and sorrow as these women lived their lives, and it was almost like I became a part of the book at times. There were so many interesting details, twists and turns that kept me guessing about how the story would end. Barbara Colley did an amazing job writing this wonderful novel.

This is an epic novel following three generations of women through their similar experiences with love, war, and family. Colley spends over forty years, and four hundred pages, proving that deep-rooted actions and emotions, such as love, stupidity, pride, and heartache are not bound by generational gaps. In 1984 Rachel is standing beside her comatose husband in the hospital. Through gracefully weaving back and forth between the "present" and the past, the story of Rachel, her daughter, Liz, and her granddaughter, Crystal, unfolds. Each story was told in that particular persons' point of view, immediately connecting me to the character and the situation. Colley's women were compelling and emotionally driven toward specific turning points. Most women could relate to the general plot, with its undertones of worldly matters, generational distinctions, and feminine strength. In each of the women's tales, Colley points out how she holds her personal life at higher importance than that of the world as a whole. The women all deal with the side effects of war--death, mental illness, fatigue--and soon realize their tiny life was just one part of a larger structure. Each also has long periods of loneliness and dwells on her choices, poor or not. Colley seemed to simply stating that many hardships never change, and I agree with her. We often feel detached from our older counterparts, and Colley show that this thought is not necessarily true. Last, the feminine strength portrayed throughout gives hope and empowerment, even if it may be a little "fantastical." At times I found myself judging the author for simply re-telling the same story three times, changing the scene, time frame, and male counterparts as necessary. Certain situations and outcomes were simply too convenient to be possible. Would I feel differently if had it been told in present tense only. Often the moments I glimpse into Rachel's present frame of mind pulled me further into the book. Colley extracts her thoughts and present them in a compelling tale of love and war. This special combination of character-driven story telling, suggestive notions of the impact of time and place on our lives, and compelling thoughts on life in general make this book stand out. Armchair Interviews says: Rachel's War truly is a beautiful novel.

Misfortune follows Rachel Thompson like a plague. Born into poverty, resigned to the demands of an overbearing father, Rachel's future seems indisputably bleak. She sees her way out in the marriage proposal of her lifelong sweetheart, Tim. Her father explodes in a fury and throws her out of her home when Rachel tells him she and Tim have eloped. Homeless, Rachel is left in the care of a resentful mother-in-law while Tim is drafted into World War II. When the war draws to a close, Tim and Rachel set out to start a life for themselves far away from the constraints of their families. Tragedy leaves Rachel widowed in an unfamiliar town. As if on cue, an acquaintance appears in the diner where she waitresses. Jonathan Williams offers Rachel a job as his son J.J.'s nanny. When Rachel discovers she is pregnant with Tim's child, Jonathan makes a proposal that will benefit both Rachel and himself. Faced with the alternative of a life of uncertainty, Rachel accepts Jonathan's suggestion, along with the explosive secret that will haunt her for years to come. So begins the legacy of three generations of strong-willed and resilient women. RACHEL'S WAR by Barbara Colley spans the lives of three women and three wars. While husbands battle overseas, Rachel, her daughter Liz, and her grandaughter Crystal wage their own private wars on the homefront. Concretely, their battles include in-laws, alcoholism, death and illness. Abstractly, they battle insecurity, authority, guilt and remorse. In short, the characters are relatably human and open to the interpretations the reader's own experience provides. A helpful strategy Colley incorporated into the novel is the use of letters as a sort of journal. As the couples write back and forth during their absences, the reader is offered an intimate view of the thoughts and emotions of each person that mere dialog does not afford. Barbara Colley's novels typically take place in her hometown of New Orleans, and RACHEL'S WAR is no exception. Though the characters change locales frequently, Rachel begins her life in rural Louisiana and her family members find themselves drawn to the state for various reasons. She writes a cozy mystery series that carries a bit of romance, as Rachel's War eludes to its own mysteries. Her work encompasses multiple genres and appeals to a wide range of readers. I admit I am not a fan of romance novels, and I only gave this one a try because I enjoyed Colley's Charlotte LaRue mysteries. However, RACHEL'S WAR is anything but a cheesy Fabio-adorned mass market release and has made me rethink my opinion of Harlequin and the like. Colley writes true literature that has a backbone and a message for the reader.

To escape her abusive father, Rachel Thompson marries Tim Davis. When he goes off to serve his country during WW II, she moves in with his family. When Tim returns home, Rachel welcomes him as a hero, but he dies in an accident. Pregnant, Rachel obtains work from business mogul Jon Williams. He falls in love with her and pursues her until she agrees to marry him. He raises Tim's offspring Liz as his own loving daughter and Rachel does likewise with his son JJ. As the years go by, the couple seems contented but later Jon is accused of traitorous espionage for the enemy during the war. Rachel is devastated by the accusations. This is an interesting historical tale that spans three generation of females going decades beyond what is described above. An example is Liz marries a soldier and has children with him. Still the prime focus of this second half of the twentieth century relationship saga between women and the soldiers they love and marry is Rachel, the only fully developed character in the family ensemble. Readers will enjoy this look at family members of our servicemen coping with the life of a military wife. Harriet Klausner