From the mother of a female Marine

So I just got an e-mail from the mother of a female Marine. Her daughter is in the Lioness program in Iraq and recently re-enlisted.

This mom thanked me for telling the women's stories in Band of Sisters. She said that when she tells people what her daughter has gone through in Iraq, they usually want to correct her and tell her that "women do not go into combat."

That response is a perfect example of why we need books like Band of Sisters. The majority of the civilian population has NO idea what women are doing in combat, and I think that's terrible. It does a great disservice to these incredibly brave, patriotic, and hard-working women. How can civilians give female service members the proper support and homecoming when they don't know what women are doing on the battlefield? And it's not entirely their fault. The media isn't exactly going out of its way to tell their stories. I understand that the idea of women in combat still makes a lot of people uncomfortable. Change is uncomfortable. But we need to face reality. Women are in the fight, they're on the frontlines, and they're doing a GReAT job!!

All I can say is THANK YOU to all the women who are in the fight and those who support them.

kh

New England Book Tour

Hi Everyone,

I just finished an amazing book tour in Rhode Island and southeastern Connecticut. I did four signings in a week, beginning with Bank Square Books in Mystic, Connecticut, my hometown. I saw lots of family, friends, former teachers, ... who I hadn't seen in a longtime.

The highlight of the week was a reading/signing at the Westerly Yacht Club in Westerly, Rhode Island. We had about 200 people there. FOUR WOMEN from the book were present--Cpl Carrie Blais, Gunny Rosie Noel, Capt. Vernice Armour, and Master Sergeant Margaret Furman. It was a wonderful night for female service members. We honored their achievements and their sacrafices. The reading was followed by a Q&A and signing. Mr. and Mrs. Roberts stopped by. They are the parents of Holly Charette, a young corporal from RI who was killed in combat in June 2005. Following the event at the yacht club, the celebration continued at the home of one of the sponsor's--Ed Russell.

A big THANK YOU to Ed and ALL the sponsors, and to the local media for bringing Band of Sisters into the public eye.

God Bless!
Kirsten

P.S. Please enjoy the photos below. They were taken by my GOOD friend Micaila Britto and they really capture the wonderful moments that made up the events in Westerly, Rhode Island and Andover, Massachusetts.

Westerly, RI Yatch Club Signing - Photos

These photos were taken by Micaila Britto who is a Marine who served from Sept 87 - July 94. She is currently a free-lance photographer/graphic designer. Please feel free to visit her website at MicailasCreations

Andover Book Reading/Signing Photos

These photos were taken by Micaila Britto who is a Marine who served from Sept 87 - July 94. She is currently a free-lance photographer/graphic designer. Please feel free to visit her website at MicailasCreations