This widely acclaimed novel about a female soldier who returns from
Iraq haunted by a tragic mistake is "beautifully written...suspenseful
and smart and tender in unexpected moments" (Miami Herald) and was
named one of the 5 Best in Modern War Fiction by The Sunday
Telegraph.
Before she enlisted, classically-trained singer Lauren Clay had been
accepted to a prestigious music conservatory, but her family's financial
demands--worsened by her parents' divorce and her father's declining
mental health--pushed her in another direction. Joining the army allowed
Lauren to provide for her family--especially her younger brother Danny,
whose quirky, heartfelt letters to her overseas are signed, be safe, I
love you.
When she arrives home unexpectedly, it's clear to her friends and family
that something is profoundly wrong with Lauren. But her father is so
happy to have her home that he ignores her odd behavior, as well as the
repeated phone calls from an army psychologist. Things seem better when
Lauren offers to take Danny on a trip to visit their mother upstate, but
instead, she guides them into the glacial woods of Canada on a quest to
visit the Jeanne d'Arc Basin, the site of an oil field that has become
her strange obsession. What happens there will change Sergeant Lauren
Clay's family forever, as she must finally face what she saw, and did,
in Iraq.
Be Safe I Love You is "a rare, illuminating glimpse into the
distinctive experience and psyche of a female vet" (Boston Globe); "a
riveting suspense story and a frank portrayal of war's psychic damage"
(Ms. Magazine); and "a painful exploration of the devastation wrought
by combat even when the person returns from war without a scratch...this
book is a reminder that art and love are all that can keep us from
despair" (The New York Times Book Review).
