Powers, Kevin. The Yellow Birds

This deeply affecting novel, written by an Iraq war veteran (and recent M.F.A. graduate in poetry), is the distressing story of two young soldiers trying to stay alive, and one of the soldiers returning home only to find that the war continues in his head.

The Yellow Birds is an insightful, personal, and moving novel.  It helped me understand, on an emotional level, the traumatic experiences that face the young men and women who have gone to war. 

A 2012 National Book Awards finalist, this novel is an important read--beautifully written and heart wrenching.