Army Wife’s Book Offers a Hilarious and Revealing Look at Military Life

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                        Contact: Marna Krajeski (401) 487-2584
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(Wakefield, RI, September 21, 2006) In rural southern Rhode Island, there are few Army camouflage uniforms and no platoons of soldiers singing cadence during morning platoon runs. The closest commissary is 45 minutes away at the Navy Base. Yet this small New England village is where Marna Krajeski, Army wife of 17 years, completed her book HOUSEHOLD BAGGAGE: THE MOVING LIFE OF A SOLDIER’S WIFE (Wyatt-MacKenzie, May 2006), a collection of stories about marriage, motherhood, and the military.

With her husband’s assignment to an ROTC department at the University of Rhode Island in 2002, Krajeski found herself displaced from the military context she was familiar with at places like Fort Campbell and West Point. She says being “away from the flagpole” gave her a helpful jolt and a fresh perspective as she wrote HOUSEHOLD BAGGAGE.

“A civilian community provided me with the texture and contrast I needed to understand what makes military life unique,” Krajeski says. “In an Army town, much of our culture is understood and unspoken. Once I got some distance I could describe it more vividly.”

When asked what struck her the most between the two situations, she answers, “Southern Rhode Island is very settled with few families transitioning in and out. If I needed to know something, like how soccer sign-ups were done, my neighbors replied ‘Just like last year.’ It was hard to get detailed explanations. In a military town, influx is the normal state, so information is available for newcomers.”

There were other humorous reminders as well. When her husband, Lieutenant Colonel Paul Krajeski departed for six-week temporary duty at Fort Lewis, Washington, her friends were shocked at how long he was gone. Krajeski remembers many lengthier deployments from the past. “I told them ‘Six weeks is really a short absence for us—believe me!’” she laughs.

Krajeski says she wrote HOUSEHOLD BAGGAGE to share stories and offer emotional support to military wives who face similar uncertainties and challenges. She soon found another unexpected audience--civilian community members with no connection to the military read her book for cultural awareness. “With the War on Terrorism,” notes Krajeski, “more Americans are curious about what service members and their families go through. I’m glad that my stories offer those insights.” HOUSEHOLD BAGGAGE is available at bookstores and online outlets. You can also read an excerpt at www.HouseholdBaggage.com.

To schedule an interview with Marna Krajeski or to request a review copy of HOUSEHOLD BAGGAGE, please email publicity@HouseholdBaggage.com.