The Yellow Birds was nominated by the National Book Award in 2012, but lost out to The Round House by Louise Erdrich (on my To-Read list). NPR describes The Yellow Birds as a book whose “poetic language gives intimacy and intensity to the conflicts of war, and the conflicts within ourselves.” I rely on their words because I am sort of at a loss on how to aptly describe Powers’ book.
In theory I am against war. I hate the idea of the political maneuvering that exists to get one country ahead of another, to make one world leader more powerful than another, to get one elected official in office instead of another… And I know it’s more complicated than that and that war and violence are often used to end other wars and violence. But the loss of life… What The Yellow Birds illustrated for me is that loss of life takes many forms and sometimes it’s just a matter of losing yourself and all that you use to be while you are in the middle of a horrible situation, such as one where death and the smell of rotting flesh becomes normal.
It’s a terrible read. It’s a wonderful read because I think it, or something similar, is a necessary read. Without it, I don’t know how to have any perspective on what soldiers experience and on the decisions our leaders make for us.
