HONOR BOUND

A former Marine reflects on marriage, motherhood, military culture, and politics.

In her debut memoir, written with Peterson, McGrath recounts a career marked by determination, grit, and admirable accomplishments. She grew up in a middle-class Kentucky suburb where her mother, a pediatrician, and father, a high school English teacher, instilled in her the values of “patriotism, service, and sacrifice.” Surrounded by “faithful churchgoers and devout believers,” McGrath often turned to the church for solace and insight. As a young teenager, intent on becoming a fighter pilot, she set her sights on attending the U.S. Naval Academy, where she excelled, blazing the trail for other women—which she has done in every area of her life. One of the first women “to get a shot at fighter training,” she vowed “to do everything right.” She was deployed to Iraq after 9/11 for combat in a war that she believed in, largely because of Colin Powell’s testimony. But dropping bombs unnerved her, making her “hungry for spiritual affirmation.” Her stint as a congressional fellow intensified a growing disillusionment with America’s policies in Iraq and Afghanistan. In Washington, D.C., McGrath observed that lawmakers, informed by young and inexperienced staffers, knew little about war and the complexities of combat; committee assignments were “badges of honor” to fill out a resume; lobbyists wielded undue influence; and politicians spent more time on fundraising than digging into issues. Trump’s election impelled her to enter politics herself: She lost by two percentage points in her bid for a congressional seat from Kentucky and barely lost when she challenged Mitch McConnell—“a cunning and vicious political operator”—for the Senate. Married and a mother of three, McGrath writes that she is thinking about “the next steps that will allow me to have the greatest impact.” If she decides to compete again for public office, this book would serve adequately as a campaign biography.

A straightforward, sturdy account of an impressive career defending America.