Interview with Michael Ritter

Michael Ritter chronicles his life as a military brat in his new book, The Brat Chronicles. Ritter shares his inspiration for the book as well as advice, and his favorite novels, with Book Addict contributor Krysten Lindsay Hager.

Tell us about your new book, The Brat Chronicles.

The title refers to my growing up as a military brat, and it’s a coming of age story that takes place from the mid-1950’s through 1974. It’s not unlike many stories from that era – a time of change that had long-term effects on our nation, and me personally. It’s a funny book – not a “tell-all-poor-pitiful-me” saga. It has an episodic format with each chapter being a story unto itself, so it’s an easy read. In a nutshell, it’s the story about people who spent their childhoods in a world that stopped promptly at 5:00 to pay homage to the flag; where everything was painted in shades of green, and hometowns were places that only existed on television. It mirrors the experiences of thousands of Americans who fought the good fight – not on the field of battle – but in living rooms of military housing around the world. Anyone who experienced that life has stories to tell … The Brat Chronicles reflect some of mine.

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