Hall was an aspiring pilot from a troubled home whose goal as a promising young U.S. Air Force Academy cadet was to become an astronaut. This dream was horrifyingly derailed after she was raped by a classmate, and the resulting sexually transmitted disease and subsequent negligent medical care from military doctors left her with meningitis-induced chronic pain. Now a crisis counselor, advocate, and writer, Hall presents a hard-hitting and well-written memoir detailing the assault, harassment, medical mistreatment, and related events that led to her being eventually dismissed from the academy. She also delves deeply into the pain and confusion of her earlier dysfunctional and abusive family life. Hall's brave and honest work highlights the prevalence and devastating long-term consequences of sexual assault in the military, as well as the wider problem of sexual abuse in American society.Verdict Raising important deeper issues such as misogyny, victim-blaming, and rape culture, this unflinching memoir is best suited to serious readers interested in topics such as surviving rape, sexual assault in the military, resilience, self-esteem after abuse, and living with chronic pain.—Ingrid Levin, Salve Regina Univ. Lib., Newport, RI