From Here To There
by Holly Aho

Sister Minnesotan Holly Aho, a resident of Glencoe MN along with her husband and four sons, is among other things a military blogger, an artist, and a member of Soldiers Angles, whose website is SoldiersAngels.org. In From Here to There, she tells the reader how she happened to join the Soldiers Angels, a volunteer support group for our military veterans and those wounded in action. She explains the dedication of this organization in the following verse:

“May no soldier go unloved.
May no soldier walk alone.
May no soldier be forgotten.
Until they all come home.”

Holly Aho has written an inspiring story, filled with her personal observations and experiences. She intersperses it with letters and comments from soldiers and from other military personnel whom have been befriended and touched by the Soldiers Angels. It also documents the kindness and generosity of the folks back home, who willingly donate gifts to this fine mission. Her book, written in the first person, is a labor of love for her chosen volunteer work, and her dedication to the organization and its goals is reflected in every page.

From Here to There is not fiction, and it is not a novel. It is non-fiction, written about real events and real military heroes of today. It is written as a journal or as a diary with several vignettes, and like the Dairy of Anne Frank from World War II, it could be the inspiration for a play or movie. It could also be serialized and appear in military magazines or other magazines dealing with the efforts that our unsung military personnel heroes are involved in on a daily basis. It would make an inspiring recruitment story for the Soldiers Angels and other support groups for our military personnel.

From Here to There is a very specialized piece of writing and is not written for the entertainment of a general audience. At slightly over 100 pages, it is a quick read that leaves the reader impressed with the realities of the war in Iraq and those who struggle, suffer, and die for the ideals that brought us into that war in the first place. It is rated a 4 in all categories. Well done, Holly Aho, and keep up the good work!

Gloomwing Review by Steven M. Ulmen

Pages: 110
Softcover ISBN:1-4116-7540-1
E-Book ($3.26) and Softcover ($9.99) available at http://www.lulu.com/content/225795

Holly Aho's Lulu Storefront