Almost thirty years later, Mary tells of that year in her life: a year of discomfort, fear and anger, as well as courage, hope and love. She includes the stories of seven of her friends, among them a dustoff helicopter pilot, an infantry captain, a Vietnamese aide, a drug counselor, and an emergency room nurse, who were with her in Vietnam.
A World of Hurt: Between Innocence and Arrogance in Vietnam describes a war "winding down," while thousands still died. The survivors discovered that their perspectives about war, their country and themselves were forever changed.