OKINAWA
Photos by Frances I. Kirkham

Photos by Frances I. Kirkham ()

“Fly, Butterfly, Fly! The Fictionalized Memoir of a Child of the World,” was recently released by Hourglass Publications, closely coinciding with the Month of the Military Child.

Frances I. Kirkham chronicles her teen years living abroad as the daughter of a U.S. Naval officer telling her readers, “growing up military is the single most beneficent gift my parents ever gave me.” She invites readers to ponder why that was true in her time, why it’s still true for America’s military children.

In a well-paced, readable style, she illuminates the rewards, demands, and sacrifices of the military family while taking her reader on a journey to Asia and the South Pacific. Circe Olson Woessner, Executive Director of the Museum of the American Military Family wrote, “Anyone who has been part of a military family will instantly relate—and learn a bit of geography and history to boot!”At its heart, the book is a love story as revealing and relevant today as when it unfolded decades ago.

In its experiential approach to military life, the book complements the deeply researched work on military families and children, “Military Brats, Legacies of Childhood Inside the Fortress.” Its author, Mary Edwards Wertsch, reviewed “Fly, Butterfly, Fly!” and highly recommends it. You can find it on Amazon.com in both ebook and paperback editions.

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