Carrying War A Memoir by Tanya Bellehumeur-Allatt

Rated: 5 star rating

I just finished reading Carrying War: A Memoir by Tanya Bellehumeur-Allatt. It is a collection of 32 personal, chronological essays that feel like you're reading someone's private diary. The book traces Tanya’s life from a scared 12 year old girl to an adult woman, spouse, and mother. 

Because her father was a Major and UN peacekeeper in the Canadian Armed Forces, her family moved from a military base in Yellowknife straight into the middle of the Lebanese Civil War in Beirut. They survived seven months of pure terror, which completely changed her family. Her mother tried desperately to keep up a normal domestic routine amidst the chaos, but her brother, Etienne, completely withdrew into himself after his class accidentally witnessed the horrifying, bloody aftermath of the bombed US Embassy.

As the years pass, the story follows Tanya across the world, from the Middle East and Europe to the Northwest Territories and Quebec, as she tries to process this heavy baggage. 

It is an honest look at PTSD and the invisible scars military families carry. What I liked most is that it doesn’t leave you feeling depressed. The book ends on a note of redemption, spiritual faith, and hope, proving that you can heal from your past. If you love clean, emotional non fiction, you need to add this ebook to your reading list.

Thank you, NetGalley, Dundurn Press, and the author Tanya Bellehumeur-Allatt, for the book review consideration. All opinions are my own.

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