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Love and Recovery in the Aftermath of War
by Kayla Williams
When SPC Kayla Williams and SGT Brian McGough met at a mountain outpost in Iraq in 2003, only their verbal sparring could have betrayed a hint of attraction. Neither could have predicted the sequence of events that would shape their lives.
Brian, on his way back to base after mid-tour leave, was wounded by a roadside bomb that sent shrapnel through his brain. Kayla waited anxiously for news and, on returning home, sought out Brian. The two began a tentative romance and later married, but neither anticipated the consequences of Brian's injury on their lives. Lacking essential support for returning veterans from the military and the VA, Kayla and Brian suffered through posttraumatic stress amplified by his violent mood swings, her struggles to reintegrate into a country still oblivious to women veterans, and what seemed the callous, consumerist indifference of civilian society at large.
Kayla persevered. So did Brian. They fought for their marriage, drawing on remarkable reservoirs of courage and commitment. They confronted their demons head-on, impatient with phoniness of any sort. Inspired by an unwavering ethos of service, they continued to stand on common ground. Finally, they found their own paths to healing and wholeness, both as individuals and as a family, in dedication to a larger community.
"Williams's account is ruthlessly raw and objective, aiding our greater understanding of the obstacles faced by veterans stateside." - Publishers Weekly
"Starred Review. The memoir is certainly not a feminist tract, but Williams does examine the special adjustment problems of female combat veterans. A brave book filled with gore and trauma - and superb storytelling." - Kirkus
"Kayla Williams's intimate and honest portrayal of marriage after the tragedy of war is a must-read for military spouses, caregivers, and anyone hoping to gain an understanding of the challenges faced by soldiers coming home. Kayla and Brian's perseverance is a tribute to the power of the human spirit to not only survive but to thrive." - Marie Tillman, author of The Letter: My Journey Through Love, Loss & Life and founder of the Pat Tillman Foundation
"Part heartache, hard truth, love story, and an insider's look at the back end of war, this book offers us a look behind the uniforms and the parades and into the damage of war's wounds. In the end, it is a story about how love can ultimately heal." - Lee Woodruff, author of In an Instant and Those We Love Most
"In her second book, Plenty of Time When We Get Home, Kayla Williams's raw, honest, and take-no-prisoners prose gives service members and families scarred by war the greatest gift of all - hope." - Tanya Biank, author of Lifetime TV's Army Wives and Undaunted: The Real Story of America's Servicewomen in Today's Military
This information about Plenty of Time When We Get Home was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Kayla Williams, a former Arabic linguist in the U.S. Army, is the author of Love My Rifle More than You and Plenty of Time When We Get Home. She lives with her husband Brian and their two children in Virginia.
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