Brat Life - by Caren J Town (Paperback)

About the Book

"Although there are hundreds of thousands of current and former Military brats in the United States, very little about their lives as children of service members has been documented. Reading about the experiences of fellow brats can help these children of warriors understand both themselves and the unique world in which they were raised. Becoming aware of the challenges that these children faced (and still face) will also help the general population consider how to honor and to help those who served in the military without ever having been drafted or volunteered. Chapters focus on novels intended for adults, adolescent fiction, autobiographies and biographies, and explore the common elements of the brat experience: frequent moves, the ever-present sense of danger, the potential loss of the service member, and isolation from the larger civilian world. By understanding the life of brats, we can better understand the very real costs--beyond the lives of service members--that these individuals pay for our collective freedom and security."--

Book Synopsis

With hundreds of thousands of current and former military brats in the United States, their lives as children of service members are surprisingly little documented. Reading about the experiences of fellow brats can help these children of warriors understand both themselves and the unique world in which they were raised. Learning of the challenges that these children face will also help the general population consider how to honor and to help those whose lives were shaped by the military without volunteering or being drafted.

This book explores the military brat experience as reflected in novels intended for adults, adolescent fiction, autobiographies and biographies, and highlights the common elements: frequent moves, the ever-present sense of danger, the potential loss of the service member, and isolation from the larger civilian world. By understanding the lives of brats, we can better understand the very real costs--beyond the lives of service members themselves--that families bear in the name of our collective freedom and security.

About the Author

Caren J. Town is a professor of English at Georgia Southern University in Statesboro, Georgia.