Holding On: A Mom During War

This memoir brings to life a deeply personal but universal experience - of love, loss, and resilience - that will resonate with women everywhere. In their early forties, Beth Jackson and her college sweetheart had everything a suburban couple with three children could want. Then the phone call she thought would never come, finally does. Less than six weeks later, her professor husband is called up from the Army Reserves and deploys to Afghanistan. Jackson, her children, and her professional life are thrown into a blender of fear, chaos, and exhaustion. For anyone who has wondered what it must be like having a loved one at war in a world with 24-hour news, this fresh new memoir eloquently takes you along on their journey of hope and their struggles of survival during both the chaos of ordinary life and the urgent panic regarding her husband’s safety. And then unexpectedly, the worry of losing her middle child. Intense and moving, Holding On will make your heart ache. And the honesty and insight of Jackson's words, of topics the news media and our society don’t talk about but should, will inspire you and change you forever. Readers agree: “This is fantastic! I laughed and cried and could completely relate… It will bring a lot of healing to women and families across the world.” 20% of the proceeds of this book will be donated to Operation Military Kids, which supports children of all branches of the military, Active, Reserve, and National Guard.