Why does Hannah include Jolene’s background in the Prologue? How does Jolene’s background shape her character arc?

Discuss the friendship between Jolene and Tami. Why would Hannah establish such a strong relationship between these two characters, and what do they teach you about the value of friendship?

Jolene experiences great internal conflict when she learns of her deployment. Why is she so conflicted about her deployment? What does her conflict reveal about the ways social expectations of and stereotypes about women and soldiers intersect?