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Confessions of a Military Wife
As the wife of a Marine Corps officer, Mollie Gross learned the hard way to laugh instead of cry at what she could not control—and as she quickly discovered, nearly everything was out of her control.
A standup comedienne, Mollie explores everything about the “issued” spouse, from deployment and the stress of having a husband in a combat zone, to the realization that marriage changes when your husband returns home from war. Nothing is taboo or out-of-bounds in this funny, poignant memoir, including the “parties” military wives throw for themselves before hubby returns. (You’ll have to read the book to find out about those.)
A standup comedienne, Mollie explores everything about the “issued” spouse, from deployment and the stress of having a husband in a combat zone, to the realization that marriage changes when your husband returns home from war. Nothing is taboo or out-of-bounds in this funny, poignant memoir, including the “parties” military wives throw for themselves before hubby returns. (You’ll have to read the book to find out about those.)
305 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2009
65 people are currently reading
334 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 94 reviews
July 29, 2012
I didn't finish this book. I only read about 20% and gave up, happy that I only spent $2.99 for the Kindle version. The writing is inane, elementary and self-congratulating, and the author told me far more than I cared to know about her IBS. I bought the book based on the many good reviews I read but after reading part of the book I don't understand why it got such good reviews. I didn't find it to be funny nor did I find it to be very enlightening about military life. I had hoped to learn something solid about what life is like as a military spouse; I wanted to learn how things work in that culture but instead was provided with short, shallow anecdotes that ranged from a description of when the author fell on a Tupperware container while moving to a cringe-worthy description of how she soiled herself after getting ice cream with her husband. Some of the stories might have been funny if they were told well but for the most part the stories fell flat. I found myself thinking that there was a lot missing from the author's writing. It seemed as if she might have written a complete book but then 75% of the substance was edited out.
Granted, maybe I didn't give the book a fair chance by not finishing it but I have much better things to do with my time than read more of this book.
Granted, maybe I didn't give the book a fair chance by not finishing it but I have much better things to do with my time than read more of this book.
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June 19, 2014Is it possible to give a book zero stars? I've never read a more tasteless and ill-written book (sorry Fifty Shades). I should've know what I was getting into just from reading the quote at the top of the page. Eating cookie dough from the tube, spending your husbands money and hitting on the toothless guy at the commissary-your first day of marriage to a military service member and you're already the stereotypical dependa. Slow clap. Just to put the record straight, it IS possible to be married to a service member and lead a normal life. And rather than spend my husbands money on shopping sprees and spa days, I go to work like a normal human being. I also don't abuse controlled substance anxiety medication (shocker!!).
At the end of the day, this book is just a pathetic, self-congratulating attempt to humorize the military spouse lifestyle, and the fact that she "survived four years in the Marine Corps." No one I know does a third of what this woman has wrote about-not that any of her situations and conversations are realistic. Folks on the outside reading this (and I highly discourage doing so), this is not an accurate depiction of most military spouses. I'd put it down and run.
At the end of the day, this book is just a pathetic, self-congratulating attempt to humorize the military spouse lifestyle, and the fact that she "survived four years in the Marine Corps." No one I know does a third of what this woman has wrote about-not that any of her situations and conversations are realistic. Folks on the outside reading this (and I highly discourage doing so), this is not an accurate depiction of most military spouses. I'd put it down and run.
March 3, 2015
I don't think I even cracked a smile while reading this book. Maybe the humor didn't translate from a stand-up routine to the book well, but I really, really hated how she had an "us against them" view of civilians. While discussing her advice on how to survive a deployment, she repeatedly recommended staying away from civilians because "they just don't understand." First, I think she'd be surprised how much many civilians really do understand. Second, having a variety of friends in your support group is the only way to survive. And finally, how in the world is a person supposed to understand something they've never experienced and you're unwilling to explain?! Her elitist attitude (towards civilians, people who struggle with weight, and those who believe it is inappropriate to act like a high schooler as a 30-something year old individual) was incredibly annoying.
If I ever threw out books, I would throw out this one. Instead I am passing it along to someone else, and they can do what they want with it!
If I ever threw out books, I would throw out this one. Instead I am passing it along to someone else, and they can do what they want with it!
August 8, 2013
I love this book, Its not meant to be Mark Twain, its from a comedian, A Military Wife Humorist, and thats the way it should be. I wish I had read part of this when my husband was in Afghanistan, it would have made it a lot easier for both of us in many ways. Reading her life outside the military was a nice little hmmmmm moment, and some incite into somethings within my life now, LOVED the whole book. At one point I was laughing so much I woke my husband up. You have to take the advice within the humor.
June 14, 2010
July 2010 Update:
I’ve lent this book out to a couple of friends, and I think their comments are worth repeating. One noted that while this book is funny, it does not give a clear picture of the entirety of military life. Gross only PCSs once before her husband leaves the service, and she doesn’t struggle with children and trying to build a career through multiple locations. (Again, see Eckhart’s book linked below for a better overall how-to guide to be a spouse.) Another friend noted that there are several glaring spelling mistakes and other errors in the book. I must have missed these as I read the book pretty fast and thought the writing was not so great from the get-go. However, I still stand by my original sentiment that, in some ways, this is a much more approachable book for all different kinds of military wives than other, better written counterparts.
June 2010 Original Review:
This a tell-all, no-holds-barred look at the good, the bad, and the ugly about being a military wife. And Mollie Gross truly does not hold back (there were definitely some too-much-information moments!). Gross is a comedienne, and I imagine she is very funny in person. And this book is full of laugh out loud stories. However, I think the weakness of this book is that Gross really isn’t a writer. Her prose doesn’t flow like Jacey Eckhart’s in Homefront Club: The Hardheaded Woman's Guide to Raising a Military Family, and I felt like the jokes were missing tone, facial expressions, and delivery.
Even given this weakness, I think this a 4 star book because Gross is brutally honest about her mistakes and embarrassing moments as well as the good times in her effort to help other military wives embrace this lifestyle. I think this book is very approachable for any new military wife (no matter whether they generally enjoy reading or not) and will provide valuable information and insights into how to not only survive, but thrive. For non-military readers, I still recommend Homefront Club: The Hardheaded Woman's Guide to Raising a Military Family as the best written book to get a hilarious yet tender glimpse into the life of a military wife, with this book as a second good choice.
I’ve lent this book out to a couple of friends, and I think their comments are worth repeating. One noted that while this book is funny, it does not give a clear picture of the entirety of military life. Gross only PCSs once before her husband leaves the service, and she doesn’t struggle with children and trying to build a career through multiple locations. (Again, see Eckhart’s book linked below for a better overall how-to guide to be a spouse.) Another friend noted that there are several glaring spelling mistakes and other errors in the book. I must have missed these as I read the book pretty fast and thought the writing was not so great from the get-go. However, I still stand by my original sentiment that, in some ways, this is a much more approachable book for all different kinds of military wives than other, better written counterparts.
June 2010 Original Review:
This a tell-all, no-holds-barred look at the good, the bad, and the ugly about being a military wife. And Mollie Gross truly does not hold back (there were definitely some too-much-information moments!). Gross is a comedienne, and I imagine she is very funny in person. And this book is full of laugh out loud stories. However, I think the weakness of this book is that Gross really isn’t a writer. Her prose doesn’t flow like Jacey Eckhart’s in Homefront Club: The Hardheaded Woman's Guide to Raising a Military Family, and I felt like the jokes were missing tone, facial expressions, and delivery.
Even given this weakness, I think this a 4 star book because Gross is brutally honest about her mistakes and embarrassing moments as well as the good times in her effort to help other military wives embrace this lifestyle. I think this book is very approachable for any new military wife (no matter whether they generally enjoy reading or not) and will provide valuable information and insights into how to not only survive, but thrive. For non-military readers, I still recommend Homefront Club: The Hardheaded Woman's Guide to Raising a Military Family as the best written book to get a hilarious yet tender glimpse into the life of a military wife, with this book as a second good choice.
April 15, 2011
I found it quite difficult to relate to the author, so I actually did not finish this book. My experience as Navy wife seems far too different from her's, as a Marine officer wife, to be able to get through this book. I never sat and cried for weeks over a PCS and certainly didn't freak out about shopping at the commissary. I felt the book did not have a good flow to it and jumped around far too much. It was as if she wrote what she was thinking and went off on unnecessary tangents. It also lacked the desciptive nature I enjoy in most books.
This may be a good read for someone new to military life or a civilian reader, but just not for me.
This may be a good read for someone new to military life or a civilian reader, but just not for me.
July 29, 2012
I'm am the wife of a retired NCO and the daughter of a retired Warrant Officer. Ms. Gross gets a few things right, but I think her experience is limited due to her husband's four years on active duty and their military life consisting of one post assignment. The glossary at the end of the book may be the most informative part, unless you are super interested in the author's irritable bowel syndrome or cup size. Many of her stories are humorous, but they are not exclusive to the military.
February 15, 2015
This book is absolute gibberish.
I admit, I am definitely not the target audience, though once upon a time I theoretically could have been. Back in the day I used to date a Marine (just like the author!), and I was introduced to the bizarre world of military dependents. I am definitely NOT criticizing all military families or the idea of a military family, but there is a very specific brand of military clinger-on that disgusted me: the kind who relish the title "Military Wife." For some naïvely optimistic reason I read the description of this book (found in the Kindle equivalent of a bargain bin) as being a scathing critique of these women (No, let's be real... girl. These people are all children playing dress-up.). Turns out this book is written by one of these very children, and it was directed at all the other dependent children. I realized my mistake very early on, but am not a quitter, so I slogged all the way through, hoping (but not expecting) it to get better. It didn't, though towards the end there was one somewhat valuable chapter about dealing with PTSD and anxiety that wasn't too bad, and where Gross suggests therapy for everyone. This chapter was also I think the only one where Gross wasn't trying to be funny, which should tell you something. A rule of thumb for any budding comedian: if you have to tell people you are funny, you are probably not actually funny.
The only good thing I can really say about this book is that it has a lot of farts jokes. I am a big fan of farts jokes. So good on Gross for keeping those in there.
I admit, I am definitely not the target audience, though once upon a time I theoretically could have been. Back in the day I used to date a Marine (just like the author!), and I was introduced to the bizarre world of military dependents. I am definitely NOT criticizing all military families or the idea of a military family, but there is a very specific brand of military clinger-on that disgusted me: the kind who relish the title "Military Wife." For some naïvely optimistic reason I read the description of this book (found in the Kindle equivalent of a bargain bin) as being a scathing critique of these women (No, let's be real... girl. These people are all children playing dress-up.). Turns out this book is written by one of these very children, and it was directed at all the other dependent children. I realized my mistake very early on, but am not a quitter, so I slogged all the way through, hoping (but not expecting) it to get better. It didn't, though towards the end there was one somewhat valuable chapter about dealing with PTSD and anxiety that wasn't too bad, and where Gross suggests therapy for everyone. This chapter was also I think the only one where Gross wasn't trying to be funny, which should tell you something. A rule of thumb for any budding comedian: if you have to tell people you are funny, you are probably not actually funny.
The only good thing I can really say about this book is that it has a lot of farts jokes. I am a big fan of farts jokes. So good on Gross for keeping those in there.
November 3, 2015
I am about fifty pages from the end and I'm not sure I want to finish it. It's awful. I'll try to get through it so I can write a comprehensive review, and it will be long, but please don't mistake this as representative of the military environment.
I am disappointed at so many of the insults she slings around even if they are in jest or part of her skit. They're awful. So far one of the worst is (talking about the sex toy parties)-
Why are the most disgusting people- the ones you never want to imagine having sex with anyone, anywhere- the ones selling these products?... The scene was no longer cute or funny as images of this obese woman unraveled before us.
Then there is the time she went to the commissary and saw a six-foot, 300-pound woman and comments-
I had to avoid making eye contact or I knew I would lose it and yell, "The Carnival is in town! Freak show on aisle seven!"
If you happen to encounter this book before I write my full review, please, PLEASE don't judge us all by these stories. I will address much more in my full review but I really need a break from this right now.
I am disappointed at so many of the insults she slings around even if they are in jest or part of her skit. They're awful. So far one of the worst is (talking about the sex toy parties)-
Why are the most disgusting people- the ones you never want to imagine having sex with anyone, anywhere- the ones selling these products?... The scene was no longer cute or funny as images of this obese woman unraveled before us.
Then there is the time she went to the commissary and saw a six-foot, 300-pound woman and comments-
I had to avoid making eye contact or I knew I would lose it and yell, "The Carnival is in town! Freak show on aisle seven!"
If you happen to encounter this book before I write my full review, please, PLEASE don't judge us all by these stories. I will address much more in my full review but I really need a break from this right now.
January 22, 2015
I was disappointed in this book. Didn't find it that funny and felt like her viewpoint of life as a military spouse was somewhat narrow and pretty different than what I have gone through. (I believe she only PCSed once). There was some good information, but not near enough that I would recommend this book to others. I will say I didn't even finish the book. I read through the deployment chapter and it was hard enough to get to that point. I also learned way more than I ever wanted to know about her IBS problems.
February 18, 2014
I have dealt with deployments, base living and the ups/downs of a husband who was a career Marine and is now retired, but I honestly could not connect with this book. Silly and pointless.
Oh, and I love how she claims rank dropper is "wrong" and is against the snobbery, yet she reminds the reader often how her husband is an officer and has no problem making fun of people working at the commissary. She is an immature woman with an immature emotional wreck of a book.
Oh, and I love how she claims rank dropper is "wrong" and is against the snobbery, yet she reminds the reader often how her husband is an officer and has no problem making fun of people working at the commissary. She is an immature woman with an immature emotional wreck of a book.
July 21, 2012
i'm not big on things having to do with being a military wife, even though i am one. but i kept hearing great things about this book, so i picked it up on my kindle and got to work. honestly, it did nothing for me. there was a page or two that made me crack a smile - but other than that - i didn't find the book interesting at all. i guess it's true when people say that anyone can pick up a piece of paper, start writing and call it a book at the end of the day.
October 7, 2012
I don't even know where to start besides I'm glad I didn't actually buy the book. While I can see where some people are huge fans of the book, I just found is tacky and distasteful. Some things, like spouses banding together despite rank were things I related to and could agree with but other things like knowing all about her IBS was a bit to much. I think this is either a love it or hate it book but for me personally, it just wasn't my cup of tea.
October 14, 2022
Even though I'm not the primary target audience for this one, I enjoyed it. Mollie is a stand-up comedian and this book reads as a series of stand-up acts. But at the same time, they offer a unique look into the life of the spouse of an active duty Marine. Many of her challenges and tales are unique to that of the military wife, but many I think could be applied to any new wife or mother, especially if they have a spouse that travels. The fear and danger that accompanies the Marine or soldier are an added challenge and apply specifically to that subset. I liked the insights into dealing with family and placing yourself, and especially your spouse, first. But the challenges of just growing up, moving away, and learning to make friends and build a life are endearing and universal. I often had to remind myself that she was only 24 when she married--that seems so young to me now, especially to go through some of these challenges. And yet most soldiers and Marines are that young or younger, dealing with physical dangers and emotional challenges that they're not usually ready for at that age. All in all, I'm glad I read this glimpse into her life.
January 10, 2018
This is one of those books you don't really want to admit you read but I'm mid reading challenge and I want everything to count so here goes admitting I read this LOL. The flu just went through my house and I was in dire need of a laugh after being cooped up sick for weeks. I remember putting this on my to read list years ago after another military wife told me it was hilarious. Well a few parts were at first, I was actually laughing so great. Then it got just crazy, I see why the author describes herself as she does, she's a little fruit loops and as other reviews stated it just got a little stupid and way too much tmi. Don't read it for the advice at all, but if you need a quick light brainless read it serves it's purpose and I did laugh here and there.
August 6, 2018
I really needed a good laugh, and Confessions of a Military Wife gave me several throughout the week. I love that she turned her mission into doing stand-up comedy for spouses left behind during deployment, we definitely need more humor in our lives!
I don't remember much cussing (perhaps a few mild swear word, though I did notice one F bomb). The jokes were pretty inappropriate toward the end of the book, but each story has a title that makes it easy to guess weather I should skip it. Overall, I'd recommend this book to military spouses suffering through DITY moves (I was stupid and naive enough to agree to that THREE times), deployments, or whatever other crappy situation you might be facing.
I don't remember much cussing (perhaps a few mild swear word, though I did notice one F bomb). The jokes were pretty inappropriate toward the end of the book, but each story has a title that makes it easy to guess weather I should skip it. Overall, I'd recommend this book to military spouses suffering through DITY moves (I was stupid and naive enough to agree to that THREE times), deployments, or whatever other crappy situation you might be facing.
November 23, 2022
This was fun and humorous as well as serious and informative. Molly Gross is fairy open about her experiences as a military wife, especially learning the ropes and getting through deployments at home while her marine was off. She discusses anxieties and fears and feelings of loss as well as feeling lost. The book is raw and fun simultaneously. I would recommend this for military newbies and those whom are seasoned and can share in its humility and humor. She could really use a stronger editing/publishing team to catch all the typos/misspellings/language corrections, but the storytelling itself was terrific.
October 13, 2020
I bought Mollie's book from her website after meeting her and finding that she is a naturally funny and charming person. I had heard her comedy CD years ago, and laughed out loud at her stories. The book was also hilarious! It felt like Mollie is a friend relaying her stories and offering pep talks on how to get through military life with humor. A fun read!
April 24, 2023
Honestly the premise of this book is great and some of the book is quite entertaining but the author is truly a terrible person at least how she talks in this book. Talking about her girlfriends baby being ugly, how she can't look at obese women and so on and so forth. Very disappointing.
September 28, 2020
Another book I read pre-Goodreads, but I remember laughing so hard I cried.
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December 31, 2022Interesting, Although my dad was in the MPs and we lived on post most of the time the wives helped
each other with children, recipes and meals when needed. I did enjoy the book.
each other with children, recipes and meals when needed. I did enjoy the book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 1, 2017
Highly Hilarious
While a certain amount of what Ms. Gross writes as her experiences were not at all anything remotely resembling those of my own; so much of what she did write about was spot on! Being a Military Wife requires a certain amount of backbone, thick skin, resourcefulness and great portion of humility. Being able to look at your life with her level of frivolity is the way to go. This book is a must read for new military spouses!
While a certain amount of what Ms. Gross writes as her experiences were not at all anything remotely resembling those of my own; so much of what she did write about was spot on! Being a Military Wife requires a certain amount of backbone, thick skin, resourcefulness and great portion of humility. Being able to look at your life with her level of frivolity is the way to go. This book is a must read for new military spouses!
September 22, 2016
This book is divided into small, often one page or less, observations on the author's experience with different aspects of military life as a military spouse. As a current military spouse I really related to a lot of her observations, but thought she was way off on others. I also thought her tone on some things was very condescending - as though she is the reigning expert on certain topics - when she was only a spouse for 4 years. I also thought she had a touch of a subservient attitude towards her husband - which can be a little off putting (at least to me). Can't wait to discuss the book with my book club of other military wives though!
February 15, 2023
Too much comedy not enough focus on basic editing and prose is my first criticism.
I know she's a comedienne but some of this stuff is just outright too far, i don't want to know about her lack of ability to take care of herself or her cup size! Yeah some of it was interesting, i even laughed at a few things but some of it was just uncomfortable and far too intimate. I appraoched this as a reader in a long distance relationship and my boyfriend is in the Army and i felt a bit like she had captured a really narrow view of it all, she was far too dependant on her husband for my taste and far too hung up on inane details of his career. I've come away from this book knowing where he was stationed and how long he was deployed for but not his favorite food which is just odd to me, her priorities seem off before you even get me started on the non/infantry binary she sets up as if she's got any right to use that kind of launguage (Seriously,"Pog" and "grunt" it is actually pretty offensive to call people those things unless you're well established and even then it's not exactly decent for anyone not in uniform and uniformed personnel have probably traded physical blows for less). Also the dependance on religion during deployment, yeah- i've been there, I get it but there was no need to include it; it's just uncomfortable for everyone. The pillow that smells of him for a cuddle buddy and the need to keep busy while he's away: that's what i related to most.
This book tries to do too much, its part manual, part comedy, part narrative, part personal diary and there's just been a failure to draw those things together. It was a good premise but the execution was shoddy at best.
I know she's a comedienne but some of this stuff is just outright too far, i don't want to know about her lack of ability to take care of herself or her cup size! Yeah some of it was interesting, i even laughed at a few things but some of it was just uncomfortable and far too intimate. I appraoched this as a reader in a long distance relationship and my boyfriend is in the Army and i felt a bit like she had captured a really narrow view of it all, she was far too dependant on her husband for my taste and far too hung up on inane details of his career. I've come away from this book knowing where he was stationed and how long he was deployed for but not his favorite food which is just odd to me, her priorities seem off before you even get me started on the non/infantry binary she sets up as if she's got any right to use that kind of launguage (Seriously,"Pog" and "grunt" it is actually pretty offensive to call people those things unless you're well established and even then it's not exactly decent for anyone not in uniform and uniformed personnel have probably traded physical blows for less). Also the dependance on religion during deployment, yeah- i've been there, I get it but there was no need to include it; it's just uncomfortable for everyone. The pillow that smells of him for a cuddle buddy and the need to keep busy while he's away: that's what i related to most.
This book tries to do too much, its part manual, part comedy, part narrative, part personal diary and there's just been a failure to draw those things together. It was a good premise but the execution was shoddy at best.
January 24, 2012
Written by a one-time USMC wife, I liked this book well enough. At first I was annoyed by her "I'm from the South" references. I live here, I know how they are to people who "live here, but aren't from here". But when she started talking about handling deployments it got better. There were tons of things I could relate to, tons of things I secretly knew from growing up around the Corps, and tons of things I thought "why did you share that?"
I had to agree with a lot of what she had to say though. Deployments are hard. I too spent almost a week of my life glued to the TV before I realized I had a child I needed to take care of - just looking for a glimpse of my husband when the war broke out - and you can't live like that. You do quit watching the news, even local, and yes, sometimes you spend a whole week not even bothering to get dressed. True dat.
Definitely not a "How to survive a deployment properly" guide, which the author states right up front. But goodness, some of the stories will have you laughing so hard and that I think was the point. I also liked the way each chapter had little pieces. Don't feel like reading about the Hustler Store Incident? Come back to it later. I didn't read it like that but you sure could if you wanted to.
Overall I enjoyed it enough to read it in a day.
Challenges this book counts towards
Support Your Local Library
Outdo Yourself
~Kris~
I had to agree with a lot of what she had to say though. Deployments are hard. I too spent almost a week of my life glued to the TV before I realized I had a child I needed to take care of - just looking for a glimpse of my husband when the war broke out - and you can't live like that. You do quit watching the news, even local, and yes, sometimes you spend a whole week not even bothering to get dressed. True dat.
Definitely not a "How to survive a deployment properly" guide, which the author states right up front. But goodness, some of the stories will have you laughing so hard and that I think was the point. I also liked the way each chapter had little pieces. Don't feel like reading about the Hustler Store Incident? Come back to it later. I didn't read it like that but you sure could if you wanted to.
Overall I enjoyed it enough to read it in a day.
Challenges this book counts towards
Support Your Local Library
Outdo Yourself
~Kris~
July 7, 2016
Growing up near a military base and becoming good friends with military wives and 'Army brats' has given me an interest in all things military. I was hoping this book would give me an insiders look on the life of a military life and answer the questions that I couldn't comfortably ask the military wives that I know personally.
That being said, I enjoyed reading this book. Some stories were funny, and I loved the 'character' of her husband, Jon. I just wish this 'one of its kind' novel was written by somebody else. The author is a comedian and should stick to that profession because this book was not well written. It reads like it was written by a high school student and even though it was divided into sections, it was very hard to follow. One second they were at Camp Pendleton then the next they were somewhere else five years later. She also bashed civilians about their 'stupidity' often. Yes, a lot of civilians know next to nothing about military life and say the wrong things at the wrong time, but not all civilians are like that, though the author seems to think so. I read this book to get a good understanding of military life but instead got told how stupid I am repeatedly.
All in all, it was a good story in need of a skilled editor and direction.
That being said, I enjoyed reading this book. Some stories were funny, and I loved the 'character' of her husband, Jon. I just wish this 'one of its kind' novel was written by somebody else. The author is a comedian and should stick to that profession because this book was not well written. It reads like it was written by a high school student and even though it was divided into sections, it was very hard to follow. One second they were at Camp Pendleton then the next they were somewhere else five years later. She also bashed civilians about their 'stupidity' often. Yes, a lot of civilians know next to nothing about military life and say the wrong things at the wrong time, but not all civilians are like that, though the author seems to think so. I read this book to get a good understanding of military life but instead got told how stupid I am repeatedly.
All in all, it was a good story in need of a skilled editor and direction.
February 6, 2011
I wish I could give this 3.5 stars. I mean, for me, it's about a 3-star read because I've already been a part of the military community for several years now and wasn't looking to read this book as a "how to" guide for being a military spouse so much as I was reading it to relate and get a few giggles out of Mollie's hilarious anecdotes. The anecdotes WERE hilarious and I laughed out loud several times while reading this book. Some of what she wrote, however, was your typical "Marine Corps Wife" stuff, not all of which I necessarily agreed with - and almost all of which was totally useless to me personally. Regardless, I would definitely recommend this book to new wives, struggling wives, and even seasoned wives in need of a laugh. If I'd read this book nine years ago, when my husband was just starting his military career and we weren't quite married yet, I think that I would have definitely been able to take more from it than I did, but even still I am glad that I read it now, it was certainly enjoyable.
May 1, 2014
As a military wife, some parts of this book were hilarious and relatable... many others, not so much. The author is literally an "open book" - talking about farts and sex and IBS... which I find comforting, as I am generally an open person myself, but can see where some people would be uncomfortable with this much information.
I don't think the book accurately describes my own personal experience in the military, although I think everyone's experience with the military can be different, depending on so many different factors. Like I said - some parts were relatable and comforting for me, but other parts definitely weren't relatable at all. Overall, it was a quick read and pretty funny to get through. It wasn't written very well and I probably wouldn't read it again, but was glad that I read it once.
I don't think the book accurately describes my own personal experience in the military, although I think everyone's experience with the military can be different, depending on so many different factors. Like I said - some parts were relatable and comforting for me, but other parts definitely weren't relatable at all. Overall, it was a quick read and pretty funny to get through. It wasn't written very well and I probably wouldn't read it again, but was glad that I read it once.
October 18, 2013
This book is a fun, easy read that allows military spouses to commiserate, in a way, about some of the tough times military life has to offer. Does the author claim to be some kind of expert? No. She's just sharing her experiences and offering the tips she learned along the way. Most of it was not relatable to my own experiences, but it was hilarious anyway. Is it going to end up in the canon of great literature? No. The writing is not what you'd call top shelf, but I don't think that is the point. For me, as someone who had just endured a tough first deployment, it was a relief to know that it is tough on other wives, too, and that they made it through, just as I had. I think it might be useful to new military spouses, but it's as much of a fun romp as anything.
August 21, 2012
My friend was telling me funny and interesting stories about life on a military base, so I read this book to learn more. Here are some of the topics:
Her farting
Her pets
Visiting a Hustler store for sex toys (funny chapter)
Her friends on the base
Difficulties of having a husband away on deployment
and more.....
She does not have kids as of the time she wrote the book, so there is not really much of that. The whole book has a "newlywed" feel. I would have liked more info about topics like: What attracted her husband to the Marines? How did he feel about it? Also, would have liked info about females in the military. There is absolutely none of them in the book.
Her farting
Her pets
Visiting a Hustler store for sex toys (funny chapter)
Her friends on the base
Difficulties of having a husband away on deployment
and more.....
She does not have kids as of the time she wrote the book, so there is not really much of that. The whole book has a "newlywed" feel. I would have liked more info about topics like: What attracted her husband to the Marines? How did he feel about it? Also, would have liked info about females in the military. There is absolutely none of them in the book.
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