| Title | : | The Force Behind the Forces: Stories of Brave Indian Army Wives |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0143453521 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780143453529 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 256 |
| Publication | : | First published November 1, 2021 |
There are many stories of courageous heroes at the borders, but how much do we know about the women standing strong behind them?
The Force Behind the Forces: Stories of Brave Indian Army Wives is a collection of seven true stories of eternal love, courage and sacrifice. Written by an army wife, Swapnil Pandey, this book brings to light moving stories of unimaginable valour in the face of broken dreams, lost hopes and shattered families. It proves that bullets and bombs can only pierce the bodies of our soldiers, for their stories will live on in the hearts of these brave women forever, women who have dedicated their lives to the nation, without even a uniform to call their own.
The Force Behind the Forces: Stories of Brave Indian Army Wives Reviews
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Book Title: The Force Behind the Forces: Stories of Brave Indian Army Wives
Author: Swapnil Pandey
Format: Kindle
Published By: Penguin
ASIN & Edition: B09KS1TQBY & First
Genre: Non-fiction
No.of pages: 223
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
About the book
The Force Behind the Forces is a collection of seven true stories of eternal love, courage and sacrifice. Written by an army wife, Swapnil Pandey, this book brings to light moving stories of unimaginable valour in the face of broken dreams, lost hopes and shattered families. It proves that bullets and bombs can only pierce the bodies of our soldiers, for their stories will live on in the hearts of these brave women forever, women who have dedicated their lives to the nation, without even a uniform to call their own.
About the author
Swapnil Pandey is the bestselling author of Soldier's Girl and Love Story of a Commando. Both her works of fiction emphasise the emotions of a soldier and have been a rage among youngsters. She is also a star blogger with an audience base reaching up to lakhs of people.
Apart from blogging professionally for various brands, she also loves compiling stories about life in the Indian military. Since lockdown 2020, she has also started producing motivational and informational videos to add value to the lives of her audiences. These videos have created a huge impact among the masses and have been pivotal in raising various social issues surrounding military families. The effortless portrayal of military life comes from her fauji background. She married into the tribe thirteen years ago, and her nomadic life in army cantonments all across the country amongst extraordinary men and women has pushed her to come up with the most extraordinary stories. She believes a nation must look after the well-being of its soldiers and their families and honour their memories. The Force Behind the Forces is her humble attempt to provide the most authentic glimpse of the coveted army life and of the struggles military families face to common people. Swapnil is also an alumnus of Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra, and has worked with organisations like Wipro, HDFC, taught at Lovely Professional University and even the Army Public School to name a few of her ever-changing job profiles as the wife of an army officer.
What to expect
Expect a book that gives an account of those stories which take us on an emotional ride.
Expect a book that talks about the bravery of the women behind every soldier.
Expect a book that gives chills in understanding the families' pain and sacrifice.
Expect a book that will question one's mind towards life.
Who can read
This book is to be read by everyone irrespective of age and everything else. The language used is acceptable by everyone, and thus readers of age can read this. This book is recommended to all the young kids to teach them the amount of sacrifice(s) our soldiers and their families carry out at the borders and remote places for our safe lives.
My thoughts
This book by Swapnil Pandey is based on real-life stories from the Indian Army. The book attempts to highlight the extraordinary lives of the wives of the killed soldiers. I had an opportunity to read books on wars and soldiers from all over the world and our country. But, this book feels so personal and close to heart as we get to listen to real people's real struggles and emotions.
The book has seven stories, each of which is celestial in its way. Each story tends to inspire future generations. How the author has presented the veer naris' stories is indeed stupendous. Every woman showcased the valour, courage, and strength that is ever inspiring. The unbiased and selfless women and families who give the country the bravest people to safeguard the citizens is an act of extreme bravery. The women of the soldiers' households are as bold as the soldiers on the borders.
Reading each story gave me a space to think, ponder and question my responsibility as a citizen. This is a must-read and definite recommendation to all, especially the youngsters.
Writing Style
The book starts with an emotional dedication to all the women, aka Veer Naris. Each line in the book is an assurance to those Veer Naris that in the process of finding strength in themselves, after facing the terrible situations, they indirectly inspire the people.
Each story in the seven stories presented in the book will surely take every reader on an emotional roller-coaster ride. Reading real stories and the nostalgia with which the author has written is touching. The words used to describe certain sequences and incidents are so heartwarming.
Grammar & Vocabulary
Simple words and clear language is used in the book. As shown in the cover image, so much action and feelings, in the same manner, the author's writing doesn't anywhere compromise in touching the inner core of every person and feeling compassionate as the book focuses mainly on the extraordinary and also heart-wrenching journey of our soldiers who are killed in action and their brave wives who have suffered the most significant loss of their lives. Author Swapnil, herself being an army officer's wife, her writing is more profound.
What did I like
1. The real stories mentioned in the book.
2. The emotional turmoil is explained in a language that is so very touching.
3. A book that stands apart from many books on the Army and soldiers.
4. The sacrifice and loss that every wife had to face are described in a humane way.
What could have been better
As a person who cannot do more than pray for those women, I can do this at least. There is no scope of pointing out anything. The book is a must-read without any prejudice. Nothing could have been better, and thus this section remains obsolete.
Entertainment quotient
The book is written by a woman who got into the tribe for a decade and more. No one else other than the author could have been a perfect person to pen the book, as she is more close to the lives of the soldiers and their families, especially women and wives. This is one of the must-read books that a person shall read in his lifetime. It has everything that a fiction story gives us. It has drama, action, romance, emotion and gritty incidents. The only difference is that these are all taken from real lives and placed in this non-fiction book.
Pick it if
you like to read non-fiction books based on real lives
you like to understand the lives on a different level
you want to express your gratitude to the soldiers and their wives -
The force behind the forces is a collection of stories about the Indian army wives who as the title mention are the force behind the forces.
The stories narrated in the book are a roller coaster of emotions as they make you both happy and sad. What the book never fails to do is to motivate you, All the stories in the book are so inspiring and fill you with josh.
The stories mentioned in the book move you and leave you speechless as they start with such happiness and almost always end with such pain. One story which touched me and was really inspiring was the story of Lance Naik Raj Kumar Mahto's wife. One has to read her story to believe how she rose against all odds with her perseverance.
The stories tell us about the role AWWA (Army Wives Welfare Association) play in the life of these veer Narees. I would like to applaud the efforts of the author who brought life the stories and make the reader live through them as if we are a part of the family of men in uniform and their wives.
Must read for all Indians. -
(Spoilers ahead)
The book is well written and the stories are indeed beautiful and dramatic but the sadness often shadows the "force" the title refers to. After a couple stories you already know all the men who follow will die (side from last one) so the book definitely lacks variety, the same can be said in the timeline of the stories that are in fact all recent, it would have been nice to know about old-ish stories as well. The figures of their kids are often relegated to their birth, forgetting about their roles in the story on their mothers's sides.
In conclusion, it's not a bad book but it could definitely have been better. -
Each story will bring tears to your eyes. It wasn't an easy read , each story , every character will leave a huge impact on you, but it is a must read.❤️
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Extremely informative, heartbreaking and most of all, inspiring. We know nothing about the grief of the women who are left behind their army husbands, but who remain standing tall, all to support the legacy of their soulmates, with whom they were supposed to grow old but were taken away in a heartbeat. For these women, all their hopes, dreams and plans for the future are ripped away with a single bullet. What remains...them. With memories that they will forever cherish, a wonderful story begins. Written based on interviews, this book shows what it means to be a woman, and how much strength it takes for someone to stay standing long after their only support in life has gone away forever.
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This book is an epitome of courage of the ladies who marry the army officials.
Inspite of the uncertainty of life of the partner, making such a life decision is unbelievable.
The life of an army person is vividly explained, which makes it gripping as they are the real life stories.
Kudos to them. -
Each story is inspiring, touchy and admiring!
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Absolutely fantastic book. Each story is unique in itself. Sometimes it's hard to hold the tears while reading this book.
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Real stories by Indian army wives? Heck yes! When your spouce goes to war, there's always uncertainty about the future and sometimes, your worst nightmare comes true. All the stories made me emotional and I could feel as if I was being transported back in time and live the entire journey through the eyes of the protagonist. The stories are well articulated and there are links to references also given at the end of the book, in case you wish to dig in deeper.
