Milspeak Books, Milspeak Foundation, Inc. Kurtz

I loved this book! I was initially drawn in by the writing, but in no time I was attached to the main characters—Nick and Annie – and desperate to find out how their story unfolds. I am not giving anything away, but Kurtz made me think about what might happen if your life kept intersecting with The One, but the timing was never right.I especially loved how the characters never fell into stereotypes. Annie joins the Marines and goes to Afghanistan, while Nick waits for her. But Annie’s far from invincible, and Nick has a quiet strength that matures as the story unfolds.I used to work in newspapers, and I believe the best writing happens when you know your subject. Kurtz has the kind of great writing that screams, “The author knows what he’s talking about!” One of many reasons Nick is so believable is that he is a PERFECT representation of the way print journalists think. Also, I live in Florida, and the scenes set in Florida rang so true.I’m not familiar with the inner workings of the military, but the parts about the Marines felt totally believable, and they never got bogged down in details that only soldiers or sailors would care about.There are many funny scenes that had me laughing out loud, and the painful scenes are even stronger. Ultimately, finding out what happens to Nick and Annie made this novel impossible to put down.I’ve read this book several times already, and I HIGHLY recommend it.

Kurtz is a compelling, multi-layered love story and thriller with two remarkable characters at the center: Annie Kurtz, who follows her own path to the Marines and then deployment to Afghanistan, and journalist Nick Willard, who loves her and faces a wrenching dilemma when he uncovers the horrifying reason Afghanistan has changed Annie. Set against the Global War on Terror, Kurtz draws inspiration from Heart of Darkness and Apocalypse Now and their critiques of imperialism, but it is thoroughly original, beginning with its vivid and nuanced portrayal of Annie, a smart, strong woman fighting to make a place for herself in a male-dominated world while remaining true to herself. Kurtz offers sharp insights into the naivete and moral obtuseness of post-9/11 military and security doctrine and also the challenges and complexities of being a thinking, moral grownup in a dark and often absurd world. Lawson's book is crisply written, mature in its take on love and politics, and a fun read, with a conclusion that is satisfying in being, appropriately, neither simple nor easy.