Home Front, by Kristen Hannah

 

Characters
Jolene Larsen Zarkades Michael – husband, lawyer Betsy – preteen Lulu - toddler   Theo Zarkades – Michael’s father, partner in law firm, deceased Mila – mother, owns Green Thumb, gardening shop   Bill Antham – partner in firm   Tami Flynn – Jolene’s best friend and neighbor Carl – husband Seth – son, same age as Betsy   Keith Keller – Michael’s client in murder trial, killed wife, two tours in Iraq   Christian Cornflower – psychiatrist, Viet Nam vet, POW, treated Keller   Sierra and Zoe – Betsy’s friends in school   Conny – physical therapist in rehab center	Military
	Jolene – Army National Guard, Black Hawk helicopter pilot   Tami – same as Jolene, flew together   Owen “Smitty” Smith – newest member of helicopter team   Jamie Hix - gunner   Leah Sykes – morale officer, lost both legs in combat   Sarah Mewrrin – marine who lost both legs in Iraq, wrote to Jolene who never replied, eventually Jolene visited her

 

NOTE: Page numbers are from the 2012 paperback edition.

1.      Why did the girls in Betsy’s class tease her about what Jolene did?  Also, why do you think Sierra’s dad made derogatory comments about women’s ability to fly helicopters (page 314)?

2.      Can relate to Betsy’s experience in middle school?  Did the author present Betsy’s feelings as a preteen accurately?

3.      There were several times when things just did not go well.   Should the family have been more aware or should someone have helped them? For example:

a.      When family first greeted Jolene at rehab center, Betsy ran to hug her and bumped into leg wound hurting Jolene who then swore.

b.      On her first morning home, Jolene tried to make breakfast for the girls, and it was a disaster.

4.      This was a love story, a war story, and a judicial story all together.  Did you enjoy the various aspects and how they all tied together?

5.      Michael was defending Keith Keller who has PTSD and killed his wife.  Did Jolene’s story help you understand Keller’s actions?  What about the other way around – did Keller’s experience with PTSD help you understand Jolene?

6.      How do you think someone in the military would like this book, particularly a woman with a family?

7.      Do you think you will look at people with prosthetic limbs differently after reading this book?  What do you think about the contestant in Dancing with the Stars who is a Paralympian?

8.      Will this book stand the test of time?   Will it be popular 20 or more years from now?

9.      Discuss your reading experience.  With about 100 pages to go before the end, I read the Epilogue to see how everything turned out.