“Today We Go Home” by Kelli Estes

Title: Today We Go Home
Author: Kelli Estes
Publisher:  Sourcebooks Landmark
Year: 2019    
Genre(s): historical fiction, contemporary fiction 
Part of a Series: No

Rating: 

Why I read it: Once Upon a Book Club selection

Summary: Discharged from the army and suffering from PTSD after her last tour in Afghanistan, Larkin Bennett returns home and is teetering on the edge. The only thing keeping her from going over is a diary found amongst her late friend’s belongings about Emily Wilson, a woman who disguised herself as a man to fight in the Civil War. Though living in a different century, Larkin finds comfort in Emily’s story and realizes she isn’t alone.

Review: This book had some tough chapters to get through but overall, I enjoyed it.

This time I did not mind the story jumping from the present day to the nineteenth century. I think it’s because Estes better weaved it into the story with Larkin reading Emily’s diary. It made the transitions feel smoother.

It also helped that both Larkin and Emily were relatable and interesting characters that draw the reader into their stories.

Larkin’s story is a bit harder to read since it is about someone in a downward spiral regarding their mental health. But you can’t help but root for her to pull out of it and to get the help she needs. You want her to succeed.

Emily doesn’t feel too modern, which can be an issue with some historical fiction novels. She feels like a woman who is trapped by society’s expectations but is also just trying to stay with her family. She doesn’t join the army to make a point but to protect her brother and who finds some freedom in dressing as a man. I appreciated that.

There were some subplots that felt unfinished but they didn’t take away from the overall plot. I still felt it was a good read.

Bottom line: A good book with some difficult topics.

Sex: Mentions but nothing graphic.

Moonlight Musing

Do you know of any women who dressed as men to serve in a war?