Just a few paragraphs into Preeta Samarasan's novel I knew this was an author that would be one to watch. Her prose takes us deep into the the very nuance of each and every player surrounding a fateful day in a young girls life. The author has that rare talent to take us to another country during it's political upheaval and teach us it's rich history and traditions while maintaining a grip on the passions and feelings of the people involved. Powerfully packed sentences that tell a story in each one.

Despite Elizabeth Samet's position as, essentially, a civilian English professor, she shows a keen sensitivity and thoughtful introspection into the lives of our military in Soldier's Heart. Samet is unafraid to bring difficult, but immediately relative, topics to light that are typically ignored or avoided by both members of our military as well as by those who are not directly involved or connected with such organizations. What I found most eye-opening about Soldier's Heart were Samet's discussions on the difficult, dichotomous relationships between personal philosophic reflection and a purely honorable desire to serve one's country within a soldier. I believe this is a book for anyone who appreciates not simply the members of our military, but for those of us who see value in what it means to truly understand how much they are willing to give.