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November 23, 2015
Army officer Scott’s first Fort Hood contemporary portrays the deeply moving reunion of a couple long separated by the instability of army life. After 15 years of serving all over the world, including Iraq, Sgt. Gale Sorren is finally stationed in Fort Hood, Tex., where his overwhelmed ex-wife, Melanie, lives with their rebellious, self-harming teen daughter, Jamie. “Angry spouses, cheating soldiers, and everything in between” make military life feel “more like a reality TV show.” Gale and Melanie’s resentment and sorrow are expertly contrasted with simmering desire and their determination to team up to parent Jamie. Though a rather convenient complication ensures Gale and Melanie’s reconciliation, the intricacies of Stateside military lives are portrayed rivetingly, with fully realized characters who will stay with the reader long after the book is finished.