AMERICAN WIFE

Kyle relates the story of her life with her husband, Chris Kyle, of American Sniper fame.

With the assistance of DeFelice, who also co-authored American Sniper, Kyle gives readers an inside view of life in their early years of marriage, the moments of tenderness and romance that drew them together, the births of their two children, and the sadness, disappointment, and anger she felt when Kyle was deployed repeatedly to various locations in the Middle East. She discusses some of the missions her husband carried out in dangerous places like Ramadi, Fallujah, and Baghdad and how Chris did his job without question, seeing it as a duty to protect those he had sworn to serve. Kyle delves into the difficulties they both experienced when her husband decided not to re-enlist, the emotional ups and downs and physical toll his job had taken on him, and her own need to have him be whole. The author also addresses the process of writing American Sniper and the overnight fame it brought, as well as the Jesse Ventura lawsuit, Chris’ murder, and the overwhelming grief she experienced after her husband’s death. Kyle includes actual emails Chris sent while on deployment that address the terrible pressures she felt being a military wife in charge of two small children while fearing for her husband’s life. The story is gritty, romantic, and bittersweet, as only a story of this nature can be. It may not have a happy ending, but it is filled with a love, a strong faith in God, family, and country, and the determination of a woman to carry on as best she can under the strain of fame and the burden of grief. Those familiar with American Sniper will appreciate this perspective on Kyle’s life.

A straightforward, honest, and humble memoir.