Into the Trenches by Andrea Barringer

While this is a novel, the author says that it is mostly true. It is a fictionalized account of the horror of war based on personal experience.

Annelyse is a young woman who decides to join the Army, following in the footsteps of her older sister. We are along with her through boot camp, training, and then assignment. She spends time at Walter Reed but, when a volunteer is needed for deployment to Iraq, she evaluates the lives of her workmates and volunteers. Her experiences there are heartbreaking.

This is a powerful novel. Many of us have no idea what soldiers experience when they are in a war zone. Barringer has done an excellent job of taking us into the action. Through the eyes and heart of Annelyse, we experience the tension, the drama, the insecurity and the pain of war. We feel what it is like to lose buddies. We feel the internal torture of aiming a gun at a child strapped with explosives. We experience the mental anguish of coming back home, the guilt of being alive, the depression of hopelessness, the need for help.

There are a number of important issues covered in this book besides those of the military in war. For example, remaining pure while dating. There is really good teaching on the tactics the devil uses to sidetrack Christians. There is also a clear presentation of the gospel. The book is written from a strong Christian viewpoint. The importance of trusting God and relying on Him comes through very clearly.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to really know what soldiers experience when deployed to a place like Iraq and when they return. Wrap the story in the struggle to trust God, add a little romance and you have a very good novel.

Because this book is authentic, there are some rough scenes. They are appropriate to the story so I found nothing offensive. It just portrays the reality of war and those who fight in them.

You can watch the book trailer here.

Andrea Barringer is a veteran of the United States Army having served four years active duty at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington DC, and four years in the reserves. She lives in Florida with her husband and their daughter. Find out more at https://m.facebook.com/BarringerBooks.

CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 344 pages.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the author for the purpose of an independent and honest review.