Description

From the last days of the Vietnam War to the present-day war on terrorism, this story is a moving and poignant tribute to love, marriage, family, and the men and women who serve this nation. In describing her thirty-three-year journey as an Army wife, Cody gives an in-depth look at what it takes to keep a marriage strong, raise a family—oftentimes as a single parent—create a home, and face separations and loneliness amid the uncertainty and stresses that are so much a part of Army life. Over the years, Cody learns to embrace the uniqueness of her circumstances, and she finds joy, self-fulfillment, and pride in her role. But when both her sons follow in their dad’s footsteps, becoming Army Aviators and flying Apache helicopters in combat zones in Afghanistan and Iraq, Cody faces her greatest challenges as a mother and again, must balance the needs of her family with her husband’s position. Full of humor and honesty, Army Wife brings the reader into Cody’s private life in a very personal way, and in doing so opens the lens for a broader view of world events.

About the author(s)

Vicki Cody grew up in Burlington, Vermont and graduated from the University of Vermont with a BS degree in education in 1975. For the next thirty-three years she was an Army wife, supporting her husband in his career. While raising their two sons and moving all over the United States and overseas, she served as a coach and mentor for other Army spouses, and as an advocate for Army families. Her first book, Your Soldier, Your Army: A Parents' Guide was published by the Association of the United States Army in 2005. Her articles have appeared in numerous military magazines and publications. This is her first memoir. She and her husband of forty years live in the Washington, DC area.

Reviews

2016 USA Best Book Awards: Narrative Non-Fiction Winner Kirk's Review's Best Indie Books of 2017 2016 Foreword Indie Awards Finalist in War and Memoir
"Written in an unencumbered, conversational style, this book is partly a personal memoir and partly a study of the ways in which civilians make noble sacrifices out of patriotic commitment. Especially given the United States’ many military engagements around the world, this is a timely and thoughtful offering . . . An Army wife’s absorbing testament to the power of family and faith to weather difficult times.” —Kirkus Reviews
“Timeless, poignant, moving, and inspirational, Vicki Cody’s Army Wife reads like a can’t-put-it-down thriller. Having sent a husband and two sons to combat as Apache pilots, Vicki’s 33 years of marriage to Dick Cody and her selfless leadership as an Army spouse at every command level provide lessons in faith, endurance, love, marriage, and decision making. Army Wife should be required reading in every boardroom and classroom.” —A.J. Tata, national bestselling author of Three Minutes to Midnight "The wife of a retired Army vice chief of staff and mother of two Army officers — all three Apache pilots — follows her practical Your Soldier, Your Wife: A Parents’ Guide (2005) with personal memories of 18 moves in 33 years. She writes anecodotally about worries, Army wisdom, and, occasionally, Wynonna Judd.” —MilitaryTimes
Army Wife is a unique—yet unsurprisingly common—perspective from a young wife ‘coming of age’ through the years, the fears, and a deepening faith. Deep within a culture all its own, the Army refines both the Soldier and the soldier’s family, and the reader is given a window into this world of strength—from the beginnings of young love, to the constant moves, the realities of death and mortality, the challenges of reintegration after deployments, the unknowns. It’s rare to have such personal insight from a wife’s perspective as she takes us on their journey through the Army ranks.” —Sharlene Hawkes, Miss America 1985, President of Remember My Service
"Vicki Cody shares her life experiences with the grace and dignity befitting an Army spouse and mother of soldiers. The unsung heroes of America's 21st-Century War finally get their long overdue day in the sun as Vicki takes readers on an Army family journey. Army Wife is a must read. The American people deserve to truly understand the commitment and sacrifice that all military spouses selflessly give." —Jimmy Blackmon U.S. Army (Ret.) and author of Pale Horse: Hunting Terrorists and Commanding Heroes with the 101st Airborne Division