Lita & Jean: Memoirs of Two Generations of Military Women

Lita & Jean: Memoirs of Two Generations of Military Women is a memoir written by mother Lita Tomas and daughter Jean Marie McNamara. The book starts with Lita’s story. Lita was born on a military base in Illinois in 1954. Her parents divorced soon after Lita was born and her mother remarried five years later. Her mother and stepfather had seven more children after that so it was a busy household. At a very young age, Lita was raped by a priest and became pregnant. She married this man and then miscarried her first two pregnancies. She then became pregnant again and gave birth to Jean Marie. Shortly after, Lita gave birth to another baby girl, Kym. Lita then divorced her husband and became a single parent. Lita knows she must figure out a way to raise her girls as a single mom so, with the help of her parents who watch her two girls, Lita enlisted in the Army. Lita’s story is one that is full of trials and tribulations. She works so hard though, and with strength and courage, becomes a mechanic working for the United States Army. It is important to note that during these times, there were still not very many women in the military so working with male soldiers often had its ups and downs.

After Lita’s story is told, Jean Marie narrates her own story. Jean was born in 1974. We see Lita through the eyes of a young Jean and feel how much love she gives her daughters even though she is struggling to be a soldier and a mom at the same time. She tells about how their family moved from place to place as Lita was stationed at different military bases. Throughout her life, Jean has had many health problems. Some by chance, and some self-inflicted during training drills when she is in the military. One of the scariest parts of Jean’s story is when she had a brain injury and the doctors don’t know what is wrong at first.

There are just too many great parts in this book to tell them all. Lita and Jean both do a wonderful job of explaining in great detail the many adventures they have had over the years serving in the different branches of the Armed Forces. As an Army mom myself, this book brought tears to my eyes several times because it really touches my heart to read about the grit and determination these soldiers have to train to defend our country. This book should be enjoyed by people of all ages, genders, and cultures as it is a beautiful look into the lives of two amazing women.