Home Front

Chief Warrant Officer Jolene Zarkades, the novel’s primary protagonist, is 41, with heavy eyebrows, green eyes, a large mouth, ash-gold hair, and high cheekbones. She rarely wears makeup and has a strong, angular build. When Jolene turned 18, she joined the Army and learned to fly Black Hawks. She eventually left the Army and joined the Army National Guard. In addition to her successful military career, Jolene is also a devoted wife and mother. Her difficult childhood taught her to make happiness a choice, teaching her to see the positive in the most difficult of circumstances. Jolene also “has the tightest grip on her emotions of anyone [Michael had] ever seen, and she never ever let herself get mad” (15). Unfortunately, this attribute becomes an issue in her marriage, as Michael resents her sense of control and how she rarely shows what she is truly feeling. She also struggles to relate to her elder daughter Betsy, who is leaving childhood and entering the turbulent waters of adolescence. Jolene struggles to understand Betsy’s embarrassment and desire to fit in. This struggle likely occurs because Jolene wills herself into action, a trait Betsy does not exhibit. Thus, some of Jolene’s most admirable qualities become a source of conflict for her, as she has difficulty relating to others who lack those qualities.