An NPR Great Read of 2013

This stunning debut novel opens in May 2011, when Sara’s son, Jason, has been missing for nine days following a Special Operations Forces mission that took place the same night as the bin Laden raid. Knowing nothing more about Jason’s fate than the reporters camped out in front of her Pennsylvania farmhouse, Sara—an editor who immersed herself in all things military after her son became a Naval officer—is determined to discover what’s happened. Through letters and flashbacks, this haunting novel reveals the profound bond between a mother and her son, as it raises fundamental questions about life choices, the military, war, and service to one’s country. With dazzling talent and a unique voice, Lea Carpenter tells a thrilling and unforgettable story.

A haunting narrative about a mother's bond with her son; about life choices; about the military, war, and service to one's country. Sara's son Jason is missing from a Special Operations Forces mission undertaken on the same night as the Bin Laden raid. As Sara waits for news, in a series of flashbacks we learn about Jason's absentee father, while through letters home from his training and early missions, we get a picture of Jason as a strong, compassionate leader who is wise beyond his years and modest about his abilities. Those exceptional abilities give Jason the chance to participate in a wholly different level of assignment, the most important and dangerous of his career.--

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