1. In the prologue of Home Front, we see Jolene’s early life
and the incident that leads up to her parents’ deaths. How does this
scene lay the groundwork for her personality and her choices in the
remainder of the book?
2. When Michael says, “I don’t love you anymore,” he wonders fleetingly
if he’d said the words so that Jolene would fall apart or cry or say
that she was in love with him. What does this internal question reveal
about Michael? About Jolene?
3. When Jolene learns of her deployment, she is conflicted. She thinks
that she wants to go (to war), but that she doesn’t want to leave (her
family). Can you understand the dichotomy she is experiencing? Discuss a
mother’s deployment and what it means from all angles—honor, love,
commitment, abandonment. Can you understand a soldier/mother’s duty? Do
you think it’s harder for a mother to leave than a father? Is there a
double standard?
4. Jolene and Michael’s 12-year marriage is on the rocks when the novel
begins. Did you blame both of them equally for the problems in their
relationship? Did your assignment of blame change over the course of the
novel?
5. Jolene worries that Betsy will see her deployment as abandonment. Do
you agree with this? Think of yourself at Betsy and Seth’s age: how
would your twelve-year-old-self have reacted to your mother going off to
war?
6. When Michael sees Jolene for the first time in Germany, he is so
overwhelmed by the magnitude of her injuries that he can’t be strong for
her. He reveals both pity and revulsion. Discuss his reaction. How do
you think you would handle a similar situation?
7. At home, Jolene can’t cope with her new life. She can’t reconcile the
woman she used to be with the woman she has become. She wonders how it
could be harder to return from war than to fight in it. What does she
mean by this? A soldier gets a lot of training and preparation before
going to war. Should there be more preparation for returning home?
8. Early in Jolene’s homecoming, Mila says: “We all knew how hard it
would be to have you gone, but no one told us how hard it would be when
you came back.” What do you think about this comment? Do we romanticize
homecomings and thereby somehow set ourselves up for disappointment?
What could her family have done to make Jolene’s return an easier
transition?
9. At the beginning of her physical therapy, Jolene asks Conny how she
is supposed to forget about her injury if it keeps hurting. What does
this question reveal about Jolene’s personality and her attitude toward
her injury? How does this attitude hinder her recovery? How does it help
her?
10. Dr. Cornflower describes Jolene as a woman who has spent a lifetime
in the Army getting what she wants from a system that doesn’t want to
give it to her. What does he mean by this? Do you agree? How is a
woman’s career in the military different from any other career? How is
it similar?
11. During the Keller trial, Michael turns in the middle of his opening
address to look at Jolene. Why did he choose this very public forum as
the time to address the Iraq War with his wife?
12. Although the dire effects of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
are as timeless as war itself, the counseling and support services
provided to military men and women returning from war are often
insufficient, and the public is often ill-informed about the vast
consequences of the disorder. What did you already know about the
disorder, and what insights did you gain from reading Home Front?
13. Discuss the various relationships formed between parent and
child—from Michael’s relationship with his daughters and his grief for
his father to Jolene’s relationship with Mila. Which struck the most
resounding chord for you? Why?
14. On page 177, Jolene thinks about the word “heroes” and all that it
means in the shadow of loss. For her, heroes were her fallen comrades.
What is the definition of a hero to you? Who is one of your own heroes?
How do our heroes reflect our values?
15. This book explores a lot of dramatic situations and powerful
emotions. Has reading it changed you in any way? What was the most
important thing you learned in reading this book? Who would you like to
recommend the book to and why?