I quickly became hooked by Hodgson's memoir, which is fast-paced, mouth-watering, and intensely personal. The recipes that dive into each chapter look simple to make and delicious, but it's Hodgson's nostalgic prose that I like best. The author focuses both on her journey …more to enjoy food and on the mysteries of the kitchen, while sharing details about her family and her own life. Her travels around the world during childhood and later on as an adult went by a little too quickly to me, but I still enjoyed following her from England to America and every place in between. (less)

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, since it combines two particular interests of mine: military culture and the love of books. Soldier's Heart is replete with accounts of the marriage of both themes, and Samet witnesses the birth of their children with eloquent prose and …more relevant tangents on the themes' frequent appearances and influences in American history. I can't imagine being in her shoes, but I'm happy that she is stimulating her students, through literature, to look through the vivid canvas of war to its psychological, emotional and artistic effects on their careers as Army officers. In my opinion, that is how a military officer's well-rounded education should be cultivated. (less)