15 Years of War: How the Longest War in U.S. History Affected a Military Family in Love, Loss, and the Cost of Service

First-time author Schellhaas presents a moving memoir of her life with her husband, Ross, whom she met while he was in the Marine Reserves; they married after he became an active-duty Marine in 2001. This detailed "glimpse into military family life" starts after Ross is deployed to Iraq after the events of 9/11. She not only captures the struggles of a military spouse%E2%80%94"I had to get used to eating alone, sleeping alone, and managing pretty much everything without him"%E2%80%94but also the shared troubles of her extended military family: "There was nothing worse for us than seeing on television the hardships our husbands were dealing with, knowing we couldn't do a single thing about any of it." The couple experience the joy of childbirth as well as the accidental death of one of their young sons, about which Schellhaas is brutally honest: "Going forward, I would have to choose either forgiveness or resentment and anger. It would be a decision I'd need to make every single day." The success of their marriage over time%E2%80%94as well as her founding of the USMC Life website to "inspire, connect, and educate" other military families%E2%80%94gives this heartfelt memoir a happy ending. (BookLife)