You Know When the Men Are Gone

I picked this book off the shelf while spending a rare hour in Barnes and Noble by myself. 

I quickly settled in and hated to leave it behind when my time was up.  I had read so intently that I hadn't even noticed the man sitting across from me had left while I had been sipping my toffeenut latte and reading, something that rarely happens when I read in a place with distractions.  I found it at the library and finished it in one sitting.

A collection of short fictional stories that share a common theme and events, this book is a fascinating look at life on a military base during a time of war.  Each story is really about the women left behind to continue their lives yet is pivotally dependent on the men that leave them.

This book is poignant and painful, more about brokenness than reunion.  While uniquely military, the stories contain the same elements of love, pain, betrayal, and hope that mark all human relationships.  Definitely a good read.