While He Was Away

“Strong characterization, the vivid setting of a small Oklahoma town and the clear depiction of present life, with Skype, e-mail and phones with their inadequate promise of instant communication, strengthen the narrative and ground it in the present. A strong entry in the growing genre of fiction about the Iraq war.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“Teens will devour this title quickly . . . the ending is realistic and void of any fairy-tale solutions that might diminish the harsh realities of what soldiers often face.”
—School Library Journal

“Schreck writes with a well-oiled facility, and her research into surviving military conflict on both sides of the world pays off. Best of all, the ending is nowhere as predictable as you would guess.”
—Booklist

“A tender and honest examination of love, longing, and loyalty in the face of modern war, While He Was Away is full of rich and complex characters whose wounds don’t always show on the outside. Beautifully written, with a fascinating mystery that keeps the reader turning the pages, Schreck’s novel asks if true love sometimes requires more courage than we think we have, and if forgiveness isn’t the bravest act of all.”
—Laura Ruby, author of Good Girls and Bad Apple

“I’ve read the last word, closed the book, and now (hours and hours later) I find that I cannot stop thinking about this book. There are many reasons to be passionate aboutWhile He Was Away: It’s a wonderful love story; the writing is skillful and true; and then there are those unexpected, plot twists hidden within these pages. Who doesn’t like surprise? But at this moment, what I mostly feel is gratitude to the writer who took the time to tell a story that I so clearly needed to hear. Bravo!”
—Amy Timberlake, author of The Dirty Cowboy and That Girl Lucy Moon

“Is love strong enough to outlast time, conquer distance and survive the harsh realities of war? That’s the question Karen Schreck explores inWhile He Was Away, a riveting novel about a young soldier sent to Iraq and the girl who stays behind, struggling to put the pieces of her life together when it seems her whole world is falling apart.  Told against a backdrop of family secrets, lost loves, and old wounds, this novel is full of powerful emotions and true-to-life drama that will pull you in from the very first sentence and live on in your heart, long after you turn the last page.”
—Pamela Todd, author of The Blind Faith Hotel

When her boyfriend David leaves for a stint in Iraq, Penna is anxious and devastated, but eventually she finds ways to cope.

At first, observing Penna change from a girl totally absorbed in her boy to one who has other concerns, friends and responsibilities is like watching paint dry. But the pace rapidly picks up as both David and Penna become more caught up in their immediate environments. Penna discovers information about a grandmother who has been missing in her life, gets pulled into waiting tables at her mother’s restaurant and finds new friends with whom she can share her current life. In Iraq, David struggles with the mind-numbing work of patrols and the terror that interrupts it, and he focuses on an orphanage for Iraqi refugee children as a way to be useful. Strong characterization, the vivid setting of a small Oklahoma town and the clear depiction of present life, with Skype, e-mail and phones with their inadequate promise of instant communication, strengthen the narrative and ground it in the present. Paralleling Penna’s story is her discovery of a grandmother who lost her first husband in World War II. The perils of war limn the memories of the women left behind and cast into relief both their devotion and their need to continue to live separate and independent lives.

A strong entry in the growing genre of fiction about the Iraq war.

Buy Karen Schreck’s award-winning novel, While He Was Away at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Indiebound, and Good Reads.