Visions of War, Dreams of Peace Book

My friend Britton warned me the quality was uneven in these poems. Not surprising, since most were written by women who didn't consider themselves poets. Many of these match Emily Dickinson's definition of poetry: they took the top of my head off.

Women served in Viet Nam; women saw horrendous suffering; they worked to save lives in a war that destroyed them. These poems have been collected by Van Devanter to give us a glimpse of the worlds these nurses saw. Sprinkled among the American women's poems are poetry of Vietnamese women's work, reminding us that all women see war in a different way than men.

I cannot wait to share this with my teacher friends who teach Tim O'Brien's THE THINGS THEY CARRIED. While his book tells a story only HE can tell, these poems tell of a world he and other soldiers could never imagine.

I think the poems written years after the war were my favorites; many were set at the Wall, and spoke of attempts to heal and bring worlds into perspective.

I borrowed this from a new friend, but now I own my own copy.

This is one of the most impactful books that I have read regarding the war. The voices of the women are heard loud and clear. And, their stories and messages transcend gender. I have performed a number of these works at competitive readings, and there is never a dry eye in the room. To learn about their experience one only needs to open their minds and ears and listen.