The Soul of My Soldier: Reflections of a Military Wife

Abigail B Calkin

Aug 2015 · Workman Publishing

About this eBook

A “beautifully written, deeply honest” memoir of a marriage shaped by war and PTSD (Abigail Thomas, author of A Three Dog Life).

After forty-five years of marriage, celebrated author and poet Abigail B. Calkin explores the relationship she has with her husband, who served three tours of duty in two different wars. Raw, riveting, and engaging, Calkin recounts how war and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) shaped their marriage and family.

Told in prose and poetry, The Soul of My Soldier is a vivid exploration of the extended and significant impact war has on loved ones, and how war affects deployed military personnel far beyond their tour of duty.

“When the guns fall silent and troops return home, soldiers carry with them an emotional mine field . . . The Soul of My Soldier reveals the tender attentiveness required to survive and heal.” —Hank Lentfer, author of Faith of Cranes

About the author

Abigail B. Calkin was born in Boston and raised in New England and New York's Greenwich Village. After moving to a few other states and living in Scotland, she settled in a very small town in Alaska's bush. Her first novel, and fourth book, Nikolin, was shortlisted for a Benjamin Franklin Award when it came out in 1994. She ventured into writing about commercial fishing when the woman wallpapering her house told her the story of her husband's fishing disaster and Coast Guard rescue. The events tumbled into her thoughts and became The Night Orion Fell. She also has had poetry, behavior analysis articles, and other nonfiction published. She currently works on books on self-esteem, PTSD, and a memoir about moving to Alaska.