St Paul, MN—Elva Resa Publishing is pleased to announce that Snapshots Sent Home: From Afghanistan, Iraq, and Ukraine–A Memoir by JT Blatty has been named a finalist in the 27th annual Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Awards.
“This meaningful, timely memoir deeply impacted our entire team throughout the publication process,” says Elva Resa’s publisher, Karen Pavlicin. “And now, we hear again and again how much the vivid imagery in JT’s writing lingers in readers’ minds. I’m glad to see this book receive prestigious recognition as one of the best books published in 2024.”
In Snapshots Sent Home, US combat veteran and photographer JT Blatty intertwines her wartime experiences in Afghanistan and Iraq with her 2018 journey to Ukraine to capture oral history and portraits of Donbas volunteer soldiers. In frontline bunkers and Kyiv flats, her story begins to blend with theirs in a universal bond of combat veterans, compelling her to stay as a new war unfolds.
Foreword Magazine, Inc. hosts its annual awards program each year as part of its mission to discover, review, and share the best books from university and independent publishers,
“This year’s submissions have truly impressed me with their depth and diversity,” says Christopher Nesbit, INDIES Award Director. “Each finalist stands as a testament to the remarkable talent and vision within the independent publishing world. The INDIES not only celebrates these exceptional literary works but also plays a pivotal role in connecting them with librarians and booksellers, ensuring that a rich variety of voices continues to thrive in the world.”
Winners will be announced in June 2025.
###
ELVA RESA PUBLISHING LLC is an award-winning, mission-driven, traditional independent publisher based in St. Paul, Minnesota, specializing in quality resources by, for, and about military families. ElvaResa.com, MilitaryFamilyBooks.com
Snapshots Sent Home: From Afghanistan, Iraq, Ukraine—A Memoir (February 2024) is available everywhere books are sold.
Direct sales support military family programs: MilitaryFamilyBooks.com/Snapshots-Sent-Home
Title: Snapshots Sent Home
Subtitle: From Afghanistan, Iraq, Ukraine—A Memoir
Author: JT Blatty
Publisher: Elva Resa Publishing
Publication Date: February 20, 2024
Distributed by: Military Family Books; Bookwire
ISBN: 978-1-934617-81-6 (pb); 978-1-934617-82-3 (ebk)
Format: 6″x9″ paperback, 176 pages; ebook
Retail Price: $21.95 (pb); $12.99 (ebk)
Case Quantity: 40
More information:
Book press page: ElvaResa.com/book/Snapshots-Sent-Home
Author press page: ElvaResa.com/author-artist/JT-Blatty
Reviews:
“… this devastatingly moving book … should be read by anyone who cares about what we do on history’s battlefields, and about how we process what we have done afterwards. … will stay on in readers’ minds for a long time to come.”—Jon Lee Anderson, staff writer, The New Yorker
“Vivid, bewildering, and brutally honest … There’s a cinematic quality to her writing that sears these episodes into your memory, and leaves you with a renewed appreciation of our common humanity.”—Marilyn Terrell, former chief researcher, National Geographic Traveler magazine
“ … a sweeping and illuminating account … powerful, engaging narrative … a sense of place and people that is usually only arrived at by being there; the men and women who people this book are richly and vividly drawn, like characters in a good novel. … ”
—Alexa Dilworth, former publishing director, Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University
“Through a series of dispatches, across several frontlines … Blatty weaves a wholly unique and timely account of life during wartime on Ukraine’s eastern front. … Under the blanket of slow terror … Blatty finds love on the other end of her camera lens, and perhaps, part of herself. …”—James McGrath, former bureau chief, Gamma Presse