From Baghdad, With Love: A Marine, the War, and a Dog Named Lava (Thorndike Press Large Print Nonfiction Series)

From Baghdad, With Love: A Marine, the War, and a Dog Named Lava (Thorndike Press Large Print Nonfiction Series) Review

A heartwarming look at wartime humanity

"From Baghdad, With Love" is the story of U.S. Marine Jay Kopelman and his struggle to rescue a five-week-old stray puppy named "Lava" from the wartorn streets of Fallujah, Iraq. The story is nothing short of heartwarming, especially if you're a dog person like myself. Kopelman is a Lieutenant Colonel in the Hawaiin First Battalion, Third Marines who call themselves the "Lava Dogs.". In addition to the rescue of the young pup Kopelman does an excellent job of providing brief descriptions of the war and how it affects those in and around it. Even though he's still on active active duty, Kopelman provides an eeriely realistic and accurate view of the turmoils of war faced on a daily basis. Lava, who was most likely left behind when people fled the city upon the invasion/liberation is found in a compound used to house U.S. Marines. Even though General Order 1-A very strongly prohibits pets or mascots, Kopelman decides Lava's life is worth saving.

"General Order 1-A is taken pretty seriously by the military. No pets allowed. That's because they've invested a lot of time and money into trashing your moral clarity, and they don't want anything like compassion messing things up. Your job is to shoot the enemy, period, and if anything close to compassion rears its ugly head, you better shoot that down, too, or you're in some deep, scary s**t."

Here are my thoughts on this simple yet brilliantly touching story;


Pros

+ Deeply moving story. The author, a marine, presents his true feelings of love for the puppy Lava. It was very refreshing to see this human side of emotion during a war from a soldier trained to kill.

+ Depictions of war, while brief, pulled no punches in their presentation.

+ Book taught me several things regarding military protocol and the war in Iraq.

+ Beautiful cover art and photos within.


Cons

- Too short! I wanted to know more about Lava and his happy life today!

- Some choppy writing and editing. The author often used the word "like" which made him sound a bit more "valley girl" and less marine.


Having rescued a dog from an abusive home myself, I found this book impossible to put down. The story was engaging, Kopelman's love for Lava was beautifully portrayed and his drive to rescue him from the war was extremely touching. Some people have criticized the author for spending effort rescuing a dog when he should have been rescuing people. I completely disagree. His love for Lava and his securing his safety knew no bounds. I never felt at any point in the book that the author was neglecting his duties as a Marine and focusing too much on an animal. And in Kopelman's own words;

"Why wasn't my time spent helping people instead of a puppy?" asks Kopelman. "I don't know and I don't care, but at least I saved something."

I couldn't agree more. I would be proud to shake Lt. Col. Jay Kopelman's hand for what he did for his country and for lovable Lava.

From Baghdad, With Love: A Marine, the War, and a Dog Named Lava (Thorndike Press Large Print Nonfiction Series) Overview

A war memoir that will capture the hearts of its readers, just as one scruffy puppy sneaked his way into the hearts of hardened Marines just when they needed it most.

From Baghdad, With Love: A Marine, the War, and a Dog Named Lava (Thorndike Press Large Print Nonfiction Series) Specifications

In From Baghdad, With Love: A Marine, the War, and a Dog Named Lava, Jay Kopelman tells a story that is both tender and thought-provoking--candidly portraying the ugly conditions in wartime Iraq, while also describing his (and his fellow Marines') growing attachment to a scruffy stray puppy. Here Jay Kopelman answers a few questions about his aspirations as a writer, and the effect his book has had on readers.

Questions for Jay Kopelman

Amazon.com: Before you met Lava and had this experience smuggling him out of Iraq, did you ever have ambitions to write a book?

Jay Kopelman: Yes, I'd considered writing a book previously and have started--but not finished--a novel. Not surprisingly, it's a military murder mystery. And I'm still hoping to get it published. I've also been offered a deal by my publisher to write another book. So I guess I'm now officially an author.

Amazon.com: How has the military responded to it given that you broke a number of rules during your adventure with Lava?

Jay Kopelman: I've actually not had any real feedback from the military establishment. In fact, mostly I only get the good-natured ribbing from my contemporaries about how much money I'll make or about who will play me in the movie. When the story first broke a year and a half ago, one of the generals jokingly asked me for an autograph, and I've given the previous commanding general for the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force a signed galley. So, thus far, there’s been nothing "official" to which I've had to respond. We'll see what happens now that the book is released and there's going to be a media blitz surrounding the book. What you have to remember, though, is that I really didn't use military assets to get Lava home. Nor did I ever endanger anyone in the military while doing so.

Amazon.com: In the book, you say that you would like it if it can bring hope to people who've lost loved ones in Iraq by showing them how something positive can come out of a brutal situation. Have you heard from people that your book has made them feel better?

Jay Kopelman: I've not yet heard from anyone who’s lost a loved one in Iraq or Afghanistan, but I have heard from a counselor who works with the returning Marines at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, who said she finds the story so very positive and helpful. She's planning to come to the book signing there. I also got an e-mail from a Marine who said that while her unit was in Iraq, they adopted a puppy and tried to bring it home, but he was ultimately put down. She says that the Marines "remember how Charlie the dog helped us. Charlie will always be loved. During a time when we were far from home that dog made us smile." So, I suppose Lava's story does help people remember and gives them hope. I’ve also heard from people who appreciate my candor describing the conditions in Iraq.

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*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Sep 30, 2010 23:40:05