Letter from the Front Critique

This piece contains an interesting backstory, but I am curious as to why this reveal in particular is chosen.  It isn’t until the end that the readers slowly get more and more understanding of the nature of the war. In fact, the first mention of the Canadians was unclear to me, as I thought “the Cands” was a pet name for some general or higher-up. I think it would add to the realism to have Josh discuss some of his fellow soldiers, more of their inside jokes and how they interact in such trying times. Tough times though they may be, a soldier would , like Josh said, not want his wife to worry, and it would be a way to uplift the mood slightly. I would like to hear more- even further origins to the war could be explored, such as Josh wondering how the industries could not foresee these problems when they…etc, etc. This letter is clearly taking place a long time from our own and it has taken a while to get to this extreme need for water. I wish I could see more buildup to it, though I don’t know how possible that would be, given the format. I think the voice is very accurate for a disillusioned soldier in how he converses with his wife. I think that military letters are examined and censored, so I do not know how effective his wife’s news on war would be.