Wounded Warrior, Wounded Wife

Not Just Surviving But Thriving

Non-Fiction - Biography
228 Pages
Reviewed on 10/02/2016
Buy on Amazon

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Author Biography

Barbara McNally is the author of Unbridled: A Memoir, and the upcoming book, Wounded Warrior, Wounded Wife. She is a member of San Diego Writers Ink, and an active blog contributor to the Huffington Post.

During her experience as a licensed physical therapist, Barbara has helped people from all walks of life, including veterans, recover and regain their strength. This work also connected her with the spouses of wounded warriors and hearing their stories inspired her to launch Barbara McNally foundation, #MotherLoverWarriorSage, which offers workshops, seminars, and scholarships that enhance the lives of women.

The foundation also co-sponsors Support, Purpose & Appreciation Days for the spouses of wounded warriors, offering caregivers a much-needed day of relaxation and self-care. Barbara is dedicated to helping women access their personal strengths and potential, and finds her work incredibly energizing and rewarding.

    Book Review

Reviewed by Gracie Bradford for Readers' Favorite

Wounded Warrior, Wounded Wife: Not Just Surviving But Thriving is written by Barbara K. McNally. Meet twenty brave women. “Strong, patient, giving women are the unsung heroes, standing on the sidelines after the medals have been awarded, the parades have ended, and our soldiers finally emerge from the hospital, their lives forever changed.” The author profoundly states, “caregivers are the silent strength behind our soldiers.” The author makes it personal by telling her story of the man she witnessed jumping off the bridge, which immediately grabs the reader’s attention and emotions, making the reader want to know more. The author brilliantly weaves in mental health issues about the hijacking of mind and memory. All single women can find nuggets in the chapter on “How often should we be having sex?” The exhaustive list of resources included in the appendix alone is worth owning the book. Other significant information worth knowing are the five stages of grief; why to tell your story; and six things to know and do if someone in your life seems at risk for suicide. A must-read energizing book.

In Wounded Warrior, Wounded Wife, the stories flow well with each starting from surviving the unexpected, then moving towards thriving after help from various resources. The author addresses one couple of same-sex marriage, telling the story of how two women went from surviving to thriving through perseverance and determination. The book has all the elements of a well-written story with authentic references and content. The author did a great job writing and telling their stories. I was pleased to see that Barbara gave some positive credit to the VA hospitals and professionals who give their all to help the returning soldiers and their families. The list of resources is incredible. Thanks for telling the stories of the wives as we often forget to thank them for their services to this country.

Mamta Madhavan

Wounded Warrior: Wounded Wife: Not just Surviving but Thriving by Barbara K. McNally throws light on the demanding lives of military spouses whose stories cannot be understood by everyone, and discusses a topic not many of them would want to talk about. The author takes readers through stories of tragedy, trauma, strength, and resilience of the caregivers who handle adversities with calmness and dignity. The stories are insightful and taken from interviews with spouses, veterans who are coping with their lives after the war, and caretakers. The stress, how families cope when their loved ones return from war, and the emotional distress are all discussed in the book, making it a powerful and inspirational read.

The topic is original and relevant, yet not discussed by many, and the author does a great job by bringing it to the forefront through this book. Wives of soldiers often have a daunting task of caring for them when something untoward happens during times of war. The book is also about creating a healing environment through caring, loving, community support, and compassion that can give a lot of relief to these military heroes and their families. The topic has been handled well by the author and she gives recognition to these caregivers who work towards encouraging, understanding, and supporting the military heroes and their families in their healing process of the outer and inner wounds. The book gives voice to many women out there and will help readers understand more about a topic no one wants to discuss.