Stories Around the Table: Laughter, Wisdom, and Strength in Military Life

Barnes, an Air Force wife and Stars and Stripes military family columnist, has complied 50 short essays%E2%80%94nearly all of them written by women%E2%80%94that offer personal observations about many aspects of military life. Starlett Henderson, for example, explains why she joined the Army, why she left the service, and how she co-founded the Army Wife Network. She concludes that "following my gut and challenging my normal catapulted me farther than I had ever dared dream or plan." Sarah Holtzmann, an Air Force daughter and Air Force wife, writes about the challenges of raising blended families. Her bottom-line advice: "Events do not always turn out as planned; sometimes they turn out even better." This how-to book is organized into sections based on friendship, transitions, spirituality, grief, marriage, parenting, deployment, and careers and finances. It is designed to appeal mainly to military wives and children who face the peculiar challenges associated with being in a family with an active-duty service member, whether in times of peace or war. (Oct.)