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Living the Dream: A Military Coming of Age Story
Mya Russell joined the Marines at 18 for one reason – to escape her mother. Two years after enlisting, she’s found a home of sorts at Camp Lejeune. She has a desk job, colleagues, and friends. She’s even managed to find love. Her life back in Brooklyn seems almost far enough away. Finally she has begun to feel settled.
Then came Desert Storm.
Living the Dream opens with Mya headed to the Persian Gulf with her best friend Kev, her ex-best friend Jamie, and a plane full of Marines. Only a handful of them are women. The women arrive in Saudi Arabia to find themselves surrounded by thousands of men, unfamiliar faces, and unsafe surroundings. Initially tensions are high among the women – most of whom didn’t get along in the States – until they are thrown together and forced to put their differences aside in order to work and live in a combat environment. When the unimaginable happens, Mya and the women of her unit discover they must band together to survive.
Living the Dream provides a woman’s view of life in the military, and in particular, tells the story of one Jamaican-American woman as she tries to overcome personal and emotional challenges. It is a story of courage, commitment, love, and friendship under fire.
Then came Desert Storm.
Living the Dream opens with Mya headed to the Persian Gulf with her best friend Kev, her ex-best friend Jamie, and a plane full of Marines. Only a handful of them are women. The women arrive in Saudi Arabia to find themselves surrounded by thousands of men, unfamiliar faces, and unsafe surroundings. Initially tensions are high among the women – most of whom didn’t get along in the States – until they are thrown together and forced to put their differences aside in order to work and live in a combat environment. When the unimaginable happens, Mya and the women of her unit discover they must band together to survive.
Living the Dream provides a woman’s view of life in the military, and in particular, tells the story of one Jamaican-American woman as she tries to overcome personal and emotional challenges. It is a story of courage, commitment, love, and friendship under fire.
245 pages, Paperback
Published August 12, 2021
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May 7, 2022
An amazing tale! Highly recommended. Set in Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm, this is the tale of what it was like to be a female, African-American Marine during that pivotal time. Narrated from the first-person viewpoint, this gripping read deals with a whole host of issues. You don’t need military service or a deep understanding of history to enjoy or understand this fascinating read. It’s about enduring and eventually conquering adversity against difficult odds.
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