Invisible Wounds of War ─ Coming Home from Iraq and Afghanistan

Guzman Bouvard (Women's Studies Research Center, Brandeis U.) examines the less-visible effects of war on US soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan--the psychological and emotional wounds--that impact their lives and their families. Coverage includes an overview of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars; adjusting to everyday American life while also reliving war experiences; challenges for veterans' families; the high veteran suicide rates and military-spouse suicide; the lack of adequate healthcare for combat stress; hidden grief; and bridging the chasm between military and civilian worlds to enhance societal understanding of the toll taken on veterans and their families. Academic but accessible to the general reader, the text takes no position on the wars themselves. Guzman Bouvard encourages all Americans to honor and respect America's latest veterans by better understanding their unique challenges. Annotation c2012 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Marguerite Guzman Bouvard is the author of The Path through Grief: A Compassionate Guide, a number of books on human rights, and award-winning books of poetry. She is a resident scholar at the Women’s Studies Research Center at Brandeis University. For many years she was head of the Political Science Department and a professor of political science at Regis College in Weston, Massachusetts.