Chasing the Daylight

Chasing the Daylight by Joanna Rakowski is a captivating memoir which provides a unique insight into the life of a dainty ballerina turned army interrogator…. Her story is one of grit, determination, and self-transformation... Joanna Rakowski's writing is surprisingly well-written, well-edited, and very well-organized, which sets it apart from many other autobiographies in today’s book market. The inclusion of photographs throughout the book adds interest and credibility to her written life history. 

- Hollywood Book Reviews

Chasing the Daylight pulls no punches and tells it exactly like it is. Author JoAnna Rakowski describes in vivid detail the mental, emotional, and immense physical effort required to achieve success in the Army training courses... This is a solid read and finding out the nuts and bolts of military service is something I enjoyed immensely. I can highly recommend this read.

- Readers' Favorite

In author Joanna Rakowski’s Chasing the Daylight: One Woman’s Journey to Becoming a U.S. Army Intelligence Officer, is a memorable journey of one woman as she forgoes the preconceived idea of men going to war by showcasing a story of strength, courage, and determination.... The author did a wonderful job of capturing the hard work and determination the path of those in the military must follow. The attention to detail the author gave to every step of the process, really drew me into her story and made for a relatable and memorable atmosphere... The balance of personal storytelling on the author’s part with the information gives readers a better idea of what life in the military is really like making this such a compelling book.

- Pacific Book Review

Told in an intricately detailed memoir style (…) Joanna’s story nearly runs the entire gamut of the human condition on her quest to become an officer. (…) The passion for her adopted country practically oozes off the pages, and it’s the author’s wholehearted belief in her American dream more than any fast-paced action that keeps you turning the pages (…) Regardless of how you feel about the US as a country or any of its military organizations, Joanna’s enthusiasm and hope for her career and what becoming a member of the US military means to her are so heartfelt and honestly written that it isn’t difficult to overcome your own reservations and simply enjoy a novel about a fiercely optimistic and driven woman achieving her dreams. (…) a memoir written with passion, grit, and not a small amount of feminine power…

- Chicago Review of Books

The largest section of the book – army training and service – was riveting.  I read late into the night, needing to find out what happened.

- The Bookbag

(…) While proud of her service, Rakowski doesn’t shy away from the “heartache and loneliness” of military life (…). Also emphasized is the way the military impacted her personal life (…) this is a well-written, intimate account that breaks the norms of war memoir in its focus on the sacrifices of soldiers who never step foot onto a battlefield. It’s also an important reminder of the centrality of immigrants to the U.S. military in the modern era. A poignant story of an immigrant’s experiences in the U.S. Army.

- Kirkus Reviews

Atmospheric writing blends with vivid interior emotions to create a roller-coaster ride that mingles pride, fear, doubt, joy, humor, and sheer determination... Rakowski’s narrative is studded with specificity, breathing life into the author’s grueling, self-selected search to be part of something bigger than herself... Rakowski paints a vivid, detailed portrait of the mental, physical, and emotional challenges she faced in becoming a U.S. Army intelligence officer… Her inspiring tale is not to be missed.

- The US Review of Books

In direct but often richly emotional prose, Chasing the Daylight recounts the day-to-day challenges of transformation, as Rakowski faces the rigors of training, the trials of being paired with less dedicated members of her cohort (...) The account is arresting—her English is polished and touched with an original sense of idiom—with jolts of surprising detail Takeaway: Tough-minded, inspiring account of a Polish immigrant’s U.S. military training… 

- BookLife

U.S. Army veteran Joanna Rakowski’s memoir of training to become an intelligence officer in the early 2000s presents a deeply felt case study in perseverance and determined self-transformation... What makes Rakowski’s story especially compelling is that she transformed herself on several different fronts… others who have served may find Rakowski’s experiences resonate with theirs, and the loved ones of young men or women considering doing the same should find her words instructive and revealing.

- BlueInk Review

Written by a former ballerina and trained linguist, the memoir Chasing the Light covers an unpredictable military rise… Scenes from Rakowski’s army life, including of basic training hardships and of following orders later on, are compelling because of their authoritative details… She communicates her emotions and experiences in evocative figurative language.

- Clarion Review

From ballerina to soldier, experience the bittersweet journey of a woman as she finds the courage to chase her dreams. Joanna Rakowski’s debut memoir, Chasing the Daylight, sparks a will in its reader to keep pushing and chasing their dreams… This memoir is a captivating and inspiring experience that leaves a lasting impression… I would recommend Chasing the Daylight to anyone seeking a reminder that anything is possible with determination and perseverance and to those who would use the book as a form of inspiration to keep chasing their dreams.

- Independent Book Review

Rakowski's story especially compelling in its focus not just on rigorous army training and life, but how trust and confidence develops between officers and soldiers as training develops. (…) women who are also considering military service will find Rakowski's experiences to be candid, thought-provoking, and revealing… Perhaps this memoir's strength is because these experiences come couched in an analysis of military culture that is powered by lessons Rakowski learns along the way. Chasing the Daylight is eye-opening and captivating. Libraries and readers interested in accounts of women in service who hold officer positions and training that leads them to be all they can be both within the army and in civilian life will find it involving and hard to put down.

- Midwest Book Review