Welcome

Melissa Seligman is something rare in the world of military families—a military wife who is also a beautiful writer. Here she describes her feelings as she watches her husband walk away from her and her newborn, knowing full well that he might not return from the war in Iraq. She experiences saying goodbye twice—both times he left when their children were still infants. While he’s away from home again, Melissa struggles to remember the goodness of her husband and the joy of their life together. Working hard to raise a baby and a four-year old, Melissa tells of the heartbreak and desperation she experiences at home. She watches her daughter clutch a G.I. Joe doll she’s named “Little Daddy,” and wonders if the family will make it through.

Hers is a story of sadness and strength, desperation and hope, displacement and unity. It’s a story that anyone left behind (and we have all been left behind) will respond to, one that, unfortunately, is becoming more and more common as the war in Iraq continues. This is a work of timely and powerful non-fiction by a significant new author.

--Skyhorse Publishing

Melissa Seligman writes at home when she's not caring for her two young children. Her husband is in the U.S. Army. She and her family live in Clarksville, Tennessee, just outside Fort Campbell Army Base. Melissa and David co-authored Simply Green: Easy, Affordable Tips for Eco-Friendly Families which will be available through Citadel in March 09.

When the first bomb explodes, it takes nearly three seconds for the thundering sound to reach my ears. Fire tears through the streets of Baghdad while men and women run, screaming. The sky is clouded with purple haze as the smoke begins to snake its way through the cold night air. The smell of burnt flesh fills my nose, and I search the street for some sign of my husband. Soldiers rush past me, their brown desert boots pounding the pavement. “Run! Take cover!” they shout as they push stunned people to the ground and make their way through the parked cars, all the while scanning the streets and rooftops with their guns. I try to run with them, but my bare feet are buried in the crumbled pavement.