THE LONG ROAD HOME: A Story of War and Family by Martha Raddatz and is a non-fiction memoir. I started reading this after watching the first few episodes of the Nat-Geo mini- series, THE LONG ROAD HOME. I wanted to know more about the day that has come to be known in the military as "Black Sunday." The 1st Cavalry Division from Fort Hood was brutally ambushed, which is an incident that changed the U.S. military's view of Iraq from a peacekeeping mission to a fight against domestic insurgents.

THE LONG ROAD HOME takes you on this journey as these amazing men battle and fight their way to safety. A story that is full of horrific, terrifying events that unfold without warning and the heroic actions that were taken to bring these men home. These soldiers leave behind families, their homes, and a comfortable life to go to battle and face the unknown.

I read this book in two sittings, staying up the first night until the wee hours of the morning. I found this to be a heartbreaking, painful read that had me in tears, especially the parts where families learn that their soldier was killed or wounded in action. Soldiers were suppose to be there on a peacekeeping mission but were ambushed. Raddatz writes with a detailed and descriptive use of words in the retelling of this day and the events that led up to this horrific event.

THE LONG ROAD HOME is a powerful and profound read that will open your eyes to the uncertainties the military men and women face with each mission assignment they receive. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has watched the Nat-Geo mini-series or just wants to know more about that horrific day these brave men had to face.