• Raising Boys

  • In The Kitchen

  • Family Travels

Grateful American

I’ve been a huge fan of Gary Sinise since I watched Forrest Gump many years ago, and have followed his career since as he won awards (an Emmy, Golden Globe, and more) and continued to act in movies and shows I love, including Ransom, The Stand, Apollo 13, etc. What I didn’t know about is his history of patriotism, or the details of his ancestry (similar to mine!). As I read Grateful American, I admired Mr. Sinise more than ever, not just for his acting skills anymore, but for his character. Married to the same woman since 1981, he has performed on USO tours at military bases around the world, and volunteered for the National Vietnam Veterans Arts Museum. He was awarded the Outstanding Civilian Service Award for substantial contributions to the U.S. Army community through his work with the Gary Sinise Foundation, and continues his dedication to Veterans today.

In this book, his life unfolds several generations before with his great-grandfather Vito Sinisi immigrating to the United States, and his life with three wives (based on the times, a wife was almost a necessity to survive, especially for a widower with young children- I grew up hearing similar accounts of losing a spouse at a young age and the lack of the luxury of staying single after such a loss). It made me feel like so many immigrant families are kindred spirits, with the same struggles, histories, and challenges. Sinise continues to share the story of his family and own life with tidbits of history and the political climate that was the background for the various periods in time, and hearing all these vivid anecdotes made so real to me in this great book was so engaging that I went ahead and purchased the audiobook as well, so I could hear it all in his own voice. My husband is now currently reading it, as he loves to learn more about actors he admires as well, and he appreciate Sinise more than ever as he hears about his service, family life, and more.

There are pictures shared in the book of moments in Sinise’s life that add to his story, and overall, this is a truly wonderful book that I’m so happy to have on my bookshelf (and in my audio library as well). I recommend it as a terrific read!!

I received a review copy to share with my readers. Opinions are 100% my own.