While the novel includes very few moments of actual combat, war is present in many ways in this novel. In the beginning, war is framed through Savannah’s eyes as something imaginable but looming and dangerous. While John’s explanation of his early years in the military doesn’t include combat, he is prepared for it in many ways, foreshadowing the war that ultimately comes.

After 9/11, war comes to the forefront, and as John and Savannah’s relationship exemplifies, there are lasting impacts beyond battle. For Savannah, war represents the horrors of the wider world. She understands John’s call to duty for a moment: “Initially she was supportive. Like everyone else, she’d been horrified by what happened, and she understood the duty that weighed on me” (177). For John, war becomes a part of life as he deploys to the Middle East and experiences combat firsthand. Like the “force” that separates them when they first meet, war keeps them apart even more, stunting their communication.

The emphasis on war in this novel isn’t the actual violence but rather the larger implications war has on those who fight it and even those who don’t. Even though the country is sympathetic, they are unable to understand war.