American Wife: Love, War, Faith, and Renewal
The widow of “American Sniper” Chris Kyle shares their private story: an unforgettable testament to the power of love and faith in the face of war and unimaginable loss--and a moving tribute to a man whose true heroism ran even deeper than the legend
In early 2013, Taya Kyle and her husband Chris were the happiest they ever had been. Their decade-long marriage had survived years of war that took Chris, a U.S. Navy SEAL, away from Taya and their two children for agonizingly long stretches while he put his life on the line in many major battles of the Iraq War. After struggling to readjust to life out of the military, Chris had found new purpose in redirecting his lifelong dedication to service to supporting veterans and their families. Their love had deepened, and, most special of all, their family was whole, finally.
Then, the unthinkable. On February 2, 2013, Chris and his friend Chad Littlefield were killed while attempting to help a troubled vet. The life Chris and Taya fought so hard to build together was shattered. In an instant, Taya became a single parent of two. A widow. A young woman facing the rest of her life without the man she loved.
Chris and Taya’s remarkable story has captivated millions through Clint Eastwood’s blockbuster, Academy Award-winning film American Sniper, starring Bradley Cooper as Chris and Sienna Miller as Taya, and because of Chris’s bestselling memoir, in which Taya contributed passages that formed the book’s emotional core. Now, with trusted collaborator Jim DeFelice, Taya writes in never-before-told detail about the hours, days, and months after his shocking death when grief threatened to overwhelm her. Then there were wearying battles to protect her husband’s legacy and reputation.
And yet throughout, friendship, family, and a deepening faith were lifelines that sustained her and the kids when the sorrow became too much. Two years after her husband’s tragic death, Taya has found renewed meaning and connection to Chris by advancing their shared mission of “serving those who serve others,” particularly military and first-responder families. She and the children now are embracing a new future, one that honors the past but also looks forward with hope, gratitude, and joy.
American Wife is one of the most remarkable memoirs of the year -- a universal chronicle of love and heartbreak, service and sacrifice, faith and purpose that will inspire every reader.
Reviews (416)
We end with "Faith" and "Renewal"
page 223: "Later that night, we (Taya and son Bubba) cuddled together in bed. "Tell me something you miss about Daddy," I said to him softly. "Do I have to? "Yes. You don't have to talk a long time. "I miss the way he played with me," he said. The tears started. I held him." This is just part of this beautiful, but incredibly heart-wrenching, book. The Contents say it all: 1 "Love" 2 "War" 3 "Fame" 4 "Shattered" 5 "Despair" 6 "Faith" 7 "Renewal" So we end with "Faith" and "Renewal." Not too many books have brought me to tears (Laura Hillenbrand's "Unbroken" did), but the last quarter plus of this book has brought me to tears three nights in a row. This book is certainly worth reading. Taya Kyle, thank you for writing this book.
Wives Serve Too
I couldn't put this book down once I started reading it. Tanya Kyle's story is authentic,bittersweet,and a tribute to her husband's and her service to our country. It is very difficult for families to reassimilate after tours of duty have been completed,for the soldier and his wife. She is quite correct when she says PTSD is no excuse for criminal behavior. I am glad she found comfort in the families and friends around her,as well as,her faith. Good luck to her and her family in the future.
I highly recommend this book to anyone with family or a significant ...
Let me preface this by saying: I haven't finished a book from beginning to end in two days in a LONG time. That being said, I highly recommend this book to anyone with family or a significant other in the military. I have a brother in the Army, a retired, Navy officer as a father who now works for WARCOM, and a dating a guy who is a SEAL. I have always been advised against dating a SEAL as they have a reputation for infidelity, a stoic demeanor that may not be nurturing enough for some relationships and obviously, the long training missions (let alone deployment). The primary reason for picking up this book was to get insight into what special forces deployments may entail. The looming notion that my SEAL will be most likely deployed within the next year (he is currently TRADET, so I have been lucky thus far) prompted me to delve into what kind of battles at home partners deal with while they are away. Through media, I had always believed that Mrs. Kyle was only a media-attention seeking indidvidual who wanted to reap the benefits of her husband's legacy. My initial thoughts of her being so publicly exposed in the media left me to believe there were only financial gains to be made. Why a wife of a well-known sniper would expose her children and identity so openly was beyond me. After reading the book, I can understand her intentions and how her public identity has transpired. I praise Mrs. Kyle for being so strong through her husband's death and open to tell her side of the story. Women are tough individuals, but women who support our troops through the deployments in faithfulness and tenacity are a different breed. Getting through deployments are rough and only half the battle. The real work comes after (and if) we are lucky to get them back home safely. I can only hope that every soldier has a strong and persevering partner to help them through the recovery as needed. This book made me smile and it made me cry. But more importantly, it made me realize that soldiers and their partners are humans first. The book does a great job in painting a softer side of the men in the special forces. Mr. Kyle was deeply rooted in his faith in God, his children and his wife. This book also depicts the arduous recovery process, grieving and coping habits that may follow a soldier's death. The military family (whether by blood or not) is a tight one and this memoir reminds you that you will find solace in your extended family should anything happen. Thank you, Mrs. Kyle, for sharing your story. God Bless Mr. Kyle.
Required reading
This should be the companion product to the book and movie. I thought the movie was incredible. Bradley Cooper BECAME Chris Kyle. Even Taya said sometimes she forgot who she was watching. So few knew the gentleness of this man but never missed the solid core of steel that compelled him to service. Chris like most SEALS was already married when he met Taya...he was married to the military. But as a man that was able to understand sacrificial love, he loved she and those kids with an unfailing love. Chris served to save others, his brothers in arms, those under his protection, etc and that mission drove him. I am so proud of Bradley for capturing that for civilians that don't understand. I just finished reading Taya's book and it's incredible. If you want to understand the rest of the story, the rest of the man that divided his heart between two such incredible things, to understand his lifetime of service -on and off the battlefield- and how it has affected Taya and her kids lives...read her book. It's like talking to a friend. You will laugh with her, cry with her, flat out bawl and have to put the book down and then come back again to wonder at this incomparable life and recognition that the story isn't over. Their story continues and the love and legacy of Chris will continue to affect others for years to come.
GAVE ME MANY DIFFERENT EMOTIONS
Taya claims to not have grown up a tomboy but her aspirations of being an NFL quarterback or a race car driver told a different story. While most girls were in to Barbies, she wanted Matchbox cars. In the end, she grew out of that stage and became an independent lady. That is until God took over and placed a certain young man in her life. It was then that Taya Studebaker met Chris Kyle. In AMERICAN WIFE, Taya bares her soul and tells of some of the things her husband went through as a SEAL and thus she went through as the wife of a SEAL. She has the heart of a lioness and the spirit of a warrior. Her story rang with the realities of being a military family with no sugar coating of the details. It was refreshing to hear the truth about her relationship along with the struggle of her depression and the huge amounts of faith she had to keep her going while living through the worst kind of tragedy that any wife cam go through. Having been a military wife myself, I understand a lot of what she had to say. My only complaint was some of the things she thought it was ok to publish. Personal stuff is just that, Personal. No one needs to know that her husband was horny. That is a given with a military relationship and for any husband/wife team who spend copious amounts of time away from each other. Also having lost my husband, I can also understand the excruciating pain the death of her husband caused her even though she, at first, appeared to be "in control". It is what you do at first. You are on autopilot because of the severe shock. At times through reading The book, I found myself in tears as it brought back memories of what I went through after my husband died. Even after almost 11 years some memories still make me cry. The one thing she got that the average wife doesn't get is the monetary offerings in the amounts that Taya got. I realize that she was telling her story but the average wife could get very "uncomfortable" with Taya's sharing of this. It could very well have an adverse effect on another wife's grief. Having gone through deployment, she is strong and she will be ok. I wish her all the best as she rebuilds her life because life must go on.
Beyond the hype, beyond the movie, here's what it was like for Mrs. Kyle
When we think of soldiers, it is beyond an outsider's comprehension on the life of the military and their families. We all owe them a debt of gratitude. Don't turn a blind eye because it's easier. American Wife is Taya Kyle's story and an education. Recommended for commuters on the go.
A Story of True Love, Loss, and Survival
I admit that I really took my time reading Taya's book. It was simply because I could feel her so strongly that I would find myself in tears. Taya tells her story beautifully and paints a picture of life as a young woman in love, to a marriage with a man who she loved deeply and was loved by in return, to the times of having her husband deployed, until finally he returns home to her and their family. And then the unthinkable happens. The strength she has shown since Chris was so cruelly taken from her reverberate through the pages as Taya describes rebuilding her life without her husband beside her. I thought of Chris this weekend as we took a cruise around San Diego Bay. The ship captain pointed out Coronado Island and the area where BUD/S is located. I could picture him training hard to become the Seal Team member that he was. And I could feel how proud Taya was of him. Taya has shown herself to be an amazing wife, mother, and a survivor. She and her children are in my thoughts and I know Chris is always watching over them. Thank you for sharing your story with the world, Taya Kyle. And bless you always.
Must Read
This book was everything that I wanted it to be and more. Thank you for writing this Taya! I know it couldn’t have been easy. I bought your new book American Spirit and sent it to my sister that’s deployed in Poland. I can’t wait for her to read it and then I can read it when she gets back. I pray for your family every day! Thank you for the service that Chris and your family have given to this country. We are indebted to you.
We are sisters
Taya Kyle, I want you to be one of my friends. Not for fane or ninety but for your strength. I wish you love and happiness in your long life ahead. Maybe somehow we will meet! You have inspired me beyond words. I had a stroke in 2006 and I thought what could be worse. Your strength inspires me to not be depressed. God was saying Slow Down Candi ...I have Lord! Taya, you r 1 hell of a sister in Christ. I think as long as you need to hear him, you will! No matter where you are in life. Keep listening
Well told Story by Taya Kyle
I finished reading this book a couple of days ago and find myself still thinking about it and Taya and Chris. I had already read American Sniper, seen the movie twice and felt I knew their story. Her account of their marriage and what she went through during his deployments was very moving and showed the realistic side of being married to someone in the military. Knowing your husband is a Seal and a sniper would add stress and worry to anyone and reading her account showed the emotional toll it took on their marriage. I was glad to read how happy they were and the plans for the future they had made. I am sure Chris would be proud of her and the way she is carrying forward for the children and the foundation she has started in his honor to help other military families and first responders. It is a heartbreaking story and I wish Taya and her family all the best in the future and a big thank you for sharing her story.
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