A stunning literary debut about a woman – an airforce pilot – torn between duty and desire.

The long shadow of a charismatic father leads Annie Shaw to decide, as far back as she can remember, to follow in his footsteps and become an air force pilot. Years later, after her mother's death and her own graduation from the academy, Captain A. Shaw is now one of the first female pilots in American history to engage in active combat duty during the first Gulf War. But her pride at earning rank as the only woman in an all–male fraternity offers little solace as the realities of battle change her, forever, into a wary, combat–wise survivor.