When I was a Soldier by Valerie Zenatti

It is a life-like depiction of the situation of Isreal from the eyes of a woman soldier who served the country when the country faced most of the upheavals in its politics. The lead character of the story Valerie is presented as an ambitious girl who leaves her boyfriend to join Israeli army after finishing her exams. Though she is not prepared for the harsh regime of the army life and thought about lack of basic things like food, sleep and privacy, she is fascinated to barge into the new world. The story vividly describes the ruthlessness of war, but also keeps one excited while reading about the life of a typical Israeli teen girl in Army.

The intimate feelings of Valerie in response to the new situations in life are given a detailed description while describing every incident in a casual style. Her anguish after breaking up with her boyfriend and feeling isolated after leaving the friends with whom she spent her teen years keeps the curiosity of the readers about the feelings of the teenager high.

S. Bagga