Our Voices: Military Writers Society of America
Red Engine Press

Reviewed by Keith Jones

The personal essay is one of the most powerful forms of writing. It bares the soul and reveals the inner life of the writer. The Military Writers Society of America 2013 anthology, “Our Voices” is packed with these special stories, many accounts of military life – from the perspectives of soldiers and their family members – populate this volume. These stores run the gamut from sad to scary to hilarious.

With the scarcity of magazines publishing these kinds of stories, anthologies of this kind allow the reader a glimpse into other worlds to see history in the making. Great editing and powerful stories make “Our Voices” a great addition to any library, personal or public.

[Note: My story, “It Began in a Wheat Field” can be found on page 269. It contains an account of the great friendship between Medal of Honor winner, J. J. Purman of Pennsylvania and his Confederate savior, Thomas P. Oliver of Athens, Georgia.]