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A Preview of HIGHER HONOR
Author: S.M. Kirkland
Life in a military academy is never easy. The rigors and demands are grueling 24 hours a day, seven days a week. But for women it can be even worse. Not only must they prove themselves equal to men physically and intellectually, they have to be at the top of their game to justify their existence in a male-dominated setting. Author S.M. Kirkland takes us inside this world to show us the on-going discrimination still happening behind the closed doors of many military schools.
For the most part, women have gained the respect they deserve, but there are still those few who resent the presence of females on a military campus. Case in point: Chris Banton, who hates Cassidy Sanders with a passion. When Cassidy is appointed to the Inspector General's office to monitor reports of hazing and abuse, she finds herself up against Chris' policies on more than one count. Their disagreement on ethics escalates to violence when Chris rapes her in the shower room of the women's dorm. Cassidy wants to confide in her best friends: Mandy Montgomery, her roommate, Michael Collinger, Mandy's boyfriend, and Ryan Hayes, Michael's best friend. But Michael and Ryan are also Chris' buddies. Cassidy isn't sure what their reactions will be. Will they be filled with righteous indignation? Or will they think she "had it coming"? And will Chris retaliate with further violence if she turns him in? Or will his classmates take up where he left off? Confused and upset, Cassidy refuses to give up the name of her attacker, preferring to try to bury the incident and hide the evidence from her superiors.
On the flip side of the plot, Chris' father suffers from ever-worsening dementia, and the farmhouse deteriorates into dreadful condition. Not knowing about Chris' secret sin, Ryan and Michael rush in to help their comrade during spring break. Adding to the predicament, Ryan and Cassidy have discovered a burgeoning affection for one another. Yet their love is marred by the memory of Cassidy's ordeal – pain which she refuses to allow Ryan to help her deal with. Chris' guilt overwhelms him, knowing his best friends would most likely be the first ones to demand his head on a platter if they knew his dreadful secret.
The question is: can God truly show Cassidy that all things DO work together for good? And can Chris find God's grace, even after his terrible act of violence? In this beautifully written story, Ms. Kirkland allows us a glimpse into life on a military campus, while showing us the beauty of forgiveness and redemption. Her characters are well-rounded and so believable, you'll swear you've met them somewhere in your own universe. She reveals not only the difficulties women face in a male world, but she also shows us men of honor, dignity, and respect, men who accept women as partners rather than threats to their masculinity. This is not a story of pat answers; it is a tale of struggle and pain, of fear and failure, of anguish and regret. But it is also a story of victory, friendship, renewal, and God's amazing love.
Miracles do still happen, and Ms. Kirkland allows them to unfold in lovely ripples of grace. Higher Honor – redemption is always possible!
Review written by Deborah Cullins Smith
Higher Honor Excerpt