Review of Memoir of a Deserter

[Magdalyne chebet]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Memoir of a Deserter" by Thomas Foster.]

---

4 out of 5 stars

---

Share This Review

---

Memoir of a Deserter: Afghanistan to Iraq to the Caribbean by Thomas Foster is a heartwarming and heartfelt journey filled with the author's life experiences and struggles. The author shares his personal story before and after joining the army in the year 2003 and how the achievements and struggles shaped his life. Boggs, who later changed his name to Foster, didn't really know what to do with his life. He tried several jobs but didn't feel enthusiastic about any of them, especially when he worked behind tables. He one day decided that he wanted to be helpful to his country. He wanted something that required his energy. He passed the tests, got promoted in the army, and displayed impressive leadership skills in his platoon as an airborne medic too.

Things really weren't as he had thought in the military. He criticized the importance of some of the missions they were doing. He saw them as benefiting some higher-up individuals rather than helping the victims. Then, things really got uncomfortable for him. He was given a vacation, and he took it and never returned to the army again. Get a copy to learn more about the author's life. How was life after deserting the army?

I must say that reading the book was fun and humorous. I paused in some paragraphs and reread them just to laugh. It was quite unfortunate that he experienced so many relationship hardships. From Simone to Katelyn (who, by the way, I came to hate a lot in the story) to Lourdes and others. The religious aspects that the author mentioned he had during his training were quite impressive. I liked so many aspects of this book. One was the author's ability to keep vivid accounts of several events that happened in his life. He even went ahead to share some of the beautiful photos.

Honestly, I was able to relate to most of the author's life experiences. One was during his training as a medical trainee. I must say I had the same experience with needles as a first-year student as nursing student, but later I came to appreciate it. I love watching action movies, one being SEAL Team 6, which Josh, Boggs's friend, loved. This made the story interesting and relatable. The author also loved reading books, which added some originality to the book. The book is divided into two parts that transition well.

While I enjoyed so many aspects of the book, I give it a rating of 4 out of 5 stars. This is because of the book's editing. I found so many grammatical errors in the book, suggesting it was poorly edited. I also found some aspects of the book irrelevant. Though it added to the book's humor, I would love the author to shorten the part where he explains about other sergeants. Also, I would love the story after the epilogue to be incorporated into the story; it will make it more interesting.

I appreciate the author for sharing his story and adding valuable advice for the youth at the end of the book. I recommend this book to action movie fans. Adults are suitable readers because of the profanities and mature content in the book.

******
Memoir of a Deserter
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

[Gerry Steen]

This sounds like a nice memoir. Most importantly, for me, it is relatable. I hope the author had a job that he enjoyed after his stint in the army. You made good suggestions to bring this interesting story to 5-star status. Congratulations to Thomas Foster for writing such an engaging memoir.

[Jessica Woods 3]

Wow! This seems like a good book to read. Learning about the hardships of a veteran is insightful. To learn about the transition that civilians go through being a soldier varies from person to person. I am glad there are humorous parts of the book. That tells me know the book is not depressing. I may give this book a try.