American Wife by Taya Kyle

A Powerful Story

American Wife: Love, War, Faith, and Renewal 
by Taya Kyle with Jim DeFelice
Hardcover: 304 pages
Publisher: William Morrow (May 4, 2015)
ISBN-13: 978-0062398086
Kindle: 5560 KB
Publisher: William Morrow (May 4, 2015)
ASIN: B00OG9UA10
Available on Amazon

A Moving Memoir

This book is a portrait of Chris Kyle through his wife's eyes. We get to see him not just as a war hero, but as a protective father, and a surprisingly tender husband who wrote sweet and supportive emails to his wife from the combat zone.

This is also an unflinching self-portrait of Taya Kyle: bride, wife, mother, and widow. It is a powerful book. Taya Kyle opens up about her life with Chris Kyle, the struggles of their marriage during his deployment and in adjusting back to civilian life. About the unexpected fame that American Sniper brought to their family and the pressures that cam with that. And the despair in the aftermath of Chris' cruel murder. Her tenacity in holding on for her kids and how her faith sustains her through her grief.

There were parts of the book, in the middle, where I had to take little breaks to grab a tissue and get some distance. Taya recounts the experience of loss and grieving in a way that is so familiar to any of us who have lost loved ones. The feeling, in the early days, that they are still there. Looking for and seeing signs of their presence.

For someone who also has a lot of ghosts, this was an intense and cathartic read for me. I want to thank Taya Kyle for sharing their story. God bless their family.

American Wife is available in print and Kindle on  Amazon.