4 out of 5 stars

Airmail: A Story of War in Poems by Kathleen Patrick is a heart-wrenching collection of poems that is split into three essential parts: Leaving, Airmail, and Surviving. Patrick has managed to bring together stories of her seven uncles and other family members during a time that split families and a nation. These are stories of memories and experiences of those who went to war and those who stayed behind and the frustrations that both groups felt.

The first and third parts are collections of poems of varying lengths and topics, all filled with real emotion. The second part, Airmail, is a collage of voices from different times and places. This part has a different informational flow while remaining integral to the telling of Patrick’s story.

I recommend this collection of poetry for those who had someone close to them fight in the Vietnam War. Not everyone had seven uncles, sons, brothers who fought during the same time period. The collection brings together varying viewpoints of the seven men and their family members who supported them by sending letters full of questions, hope, and hometown news.

I received a complimentary copy from the author. This review is honest and voluntary.