In Downriver, Ryan McDermott welcomes us into his world, revealing the important struggles and wins that shaped his life journey. From serving as the assistant brigade operations officer in 2004 for the US Army to facing intense battles and sad losses, the book takes us through Ryan's war experiences. It also delves into his difficult childhood, including accounts of disagreements involving Ryan and his mother, as well as his thoughts about being distant from his father. We follow his journey of being a father and a husband while trying to make a living. Ryan's story shines a light on the pressure of seeking financial success and building a challenging career on Wall Street. This raw and engrossing narrative brilliantly captures eye-opening thoughts about redemption, love, and family. It is a heartwarming tale filled with captivating details and engaging challenges.

Ryan McDermott brings the action of the battles he faced to life with vivid, descriptive words. We follow his frightening war stories, like when his team had to return their enemy's fire. Ryan's lyrical words and his evocative poems contribute to the book's engaging atmosphere. It has a moderately fast pace and a fine mix of themes: war, marital issues, mental disorders, fatherhood, forgiveness, communication, love, and more. I enjoyed reading about and meeting the memorable characters, including Travis, a man the author describes as humble and confident. These thought-provoking and profound essays show that Ryan is an emotionally intelligent writer and someone who takes accountability for his actions. Downriver, offers valuable lessons for those seeking better relationships and to prioritize the things that truly matter in life.

Downriver: Memoir of a Warrior Poet by Ryan McDermott is a poignant exploration of the author's journey through war, personal loss, and the quest for identity and meaning. Through visceral encounters from his military training at West Point and his combat experiences in Iraq, intertwined with reflections on his upbringing and relationships, McDermott reveals the profound impact of trauma, love, and the American Dream. After losing his childhood home, McDermott joined the military and served as a platoon leader in the Iraq War following the September 11 attacks. He later left the army and entered the corporate world, hoping to provide for his family, but he ended up losing sight of what truly mattered to him. A home invasion that nearly took his life caused his bottled-up trauma to resurface, prompting him to seek therapy to confront his past.

Downriver is a powerful memoir that highlights the importance of resilience, self-reflection, and healing. Ryan McDermott not only shares his life story and the lessons he learned over the years but also explains how poetry has helped him process his pain and reclaim his life. The turbulent waters of his past have shaped him into both a soldier and a poet, embodying the duality of strength and vulnerability. I particularly appreciated his perspective on how both sides in a conflict are fighting for their country, and how understanding this can foster empathy and compassion amid war. His writing is well-crafted, as he connects moments from different chapters effectively. One striking example is his description of a burned child during the war and his subsequent reaction to his son being burned by an iron. This illustrates how trauma can echo through time. I admired his ability to accept his mistakes and embrace growth, especially when many people choose pride and self-deception on their healing journeys. This memoir is engaging, balancing heavy moments with lighthearted humor. Overall, Downriver is a deeply moving account that offers valuable life lessons about resilience, healing, relationships, and the quest for meaning and identity.

In Downriver: Memoir of a Warrior Poet, author Ryan McDermott compares both his book and his life as a river flowing within boundaries in calm waters and over rapids toward an unknown destination. The memoir is divided into four parts titled by his sessions with a psychologist whom he consults to understand the stresses of his life and to chart a path forward. The linear structure begins with his youth when he was a championship pole-vaulter with a tumultuous home life, raised by a troubled single mom who deserts him during his senior year. Not only was he working on his athletic skills, but he was also struggling to excel in academics that would qualify him for entrance to the U.S. Military Academy where he was finally recommended and accepted. Part Two combines his time at West Point where he begins to shape his thoughts and feelings into poetry, then his combat training, and finally his experience as a platoon leader during the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq. Part Four recounts his family, career, and financial struggles after he leaves the army.

I was deeply moved by Ryan McDermott’s humility, sincerity, courage, and straightforwardness. He is direct in analyzing what he sees as his errors and shortcomings, the most serious being his time apart from his wife Lucy, and their three children. My feeling is that he puts too much blame on himself whereas the circumstances he powerfully describes would be overwhelming challenges for even the strongest individuals. The description of his role during the Battle of Baghdad reveals the harsh realities of warfare. The civilian challenges he faces trying to establish a career foothold on Wall Street are also difficult to overcome. To gain perspective on his experiences, he includes the poetry he wrote as he navigated down his life’s river. Downriver by Ryan McDermott is frank and moving, a sincere, self-examining, heroic (to me) personal account that will inspire any reader who has faced and may be facing seemingly overwhelming difficulties and heartaches in their lives.

Downriver: Memoir of a Warrior Poet by Ryan McDermott is a gripping memoir that chronicles a soldier’s personal and emotional journey before, during, and after his deployment in the Iraq War. McDermott’s narrative is a haunting recollection of the brutal realities of war and a deeply personal account of his struggle with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), providing unique insights into the complexities of military service and its lasting effects on individual identity. The memoir is structured around McDermott's counseling sessions, which provide a framework for exploring his past experiences and the challenges he faces in reconciling them with his present life. The story is a poignant examination of the American dream as viewed through the perspective of a soldier who aspired to greatness but confronted the harsh realities of war and personal loss.

Ryan McDermott's writing is compelling and richly detailed, capturing the intensity of battle scenes and the quieter moments of introspection with equal skill. His journey is one of transformation, marked by moments of despair and redemption, which he narrates with raw honesty and emotional depth. Poetic language and vivid imagery enhance the narrative, creating a powerful and immersive read. McDermott’s struggle to find normalcy and peace after returning home is portrayed with sensitivity and a heartbreaking and inspiring openness. Downriver offers a reflection on the human cost of war and the power of storytelling to cope with and overcome trauma. It is a significant contribution to the genre of military memoirs, providing a personal perspective often missing in broader discussions about war and its aftermath.