FIRST PLACE WINNER in 2009 EVVY BOOK AWARDS!!!!
Roused by a news report on a soldier killed in Iraq, Cary leaves behind her comfortable Washington, D.C., lifestyle for Baghdad. It's late 2003, and Cary is determined to help transition the country to democracy. But her idealism is soon tempered with the reality of post-invasion Iraq, where mortar fire forms staccato background music and a pair of bright blue eyes can meet with deadly reprisals.
From that first harrowing ride down the 8-mile airport road known as one of the most dangerous in the world, to poolside palace barbeques, unlikely friendships and love interests, Cary weaves an engrossing narrative of the war's most dangerous chapter. Through it all, Surviving Love in War is told with raw emotion as Cary loses friends to the violent conflict, gains an understanding of war and falls in love unexpectedly. With intimate detail, Cary describes the relationships she nurtured, the mistakes she made and the coping mechanisms she developed in her struggle for the survival of all she holds dear. Inevitably, all that she loved couldn't survive the treacherous journey.
"Our SUV merged onto BIAP Road as we cleared the final military checkpoint exiting the airport compound. We drove fast and furiously. Rapidly skirting other vehicles, honking loudly, and aggressively maneuvering other local vehicles off to the sides of the road to clear our path; it was all a part of survival. It would become routine. I watched with trepidation as we came upon a small bus packed with close to a dozen young Iraqi men. Our windows were inches apart as our driver swerved to push ahead of them. We came up alongside them. All at once I was face to face with the angry and malevolent stares of these young men. I was wearing full body armor and a helmet, my blue eyes couldn’t possibly have been any more obvious than the get-up I was in. I looked back and offered my best apologetic smile then put my hand to the window as if to wave. My gesture was at first met with a stoic indifference that in seconds transitioned to a genuine anger and resentment I could feel emanating back from those many pairs of eyes trained on me. It breached the safety of my SUV and landed a silent blow to my heavy heart. This would not be a place of sunshine and happiness. Not everyone would be happy to welcome me here."
"It didn’t take long for one of my Iraqi trainees to inquire about my reason for coming to Iraq. She candidly asked me if I was related to “Mr. President George Bush”, and I struggled to hold in my laughter so as not to offend her. “No, no” I explained. I am just an average civilian, from a small town in NY who used to be a management consultant. I happened to have the skill set that the Ministry needed and I believe in bringing democracy and freedom to all Iraqis. She was a sweet woman and offered me a timid smile as she continued her questioning. “How long will you stay?” “Is your family happy that you are here to help us?” “Are you married?” “Can I come to America too?” “How long will it take for security to return?” The last one hurt. How long? I didn’t have the answer to that."
"I rapidly became enamored of this gentle giant. In truth, I think he was only gentle with me; the Iraqis were terrified of him. At 6’3” tall, Alex dwarfed me physically. He was more than a foot taller than I. He had a strong jaw line, a shaved head, several tattoos winding their way from his forearm up into the arms of this short sleeve t-shirt and he weighed in at about 220 pounds of rippling muscle. Truly, it was an effort to keep my tongue from scraping the floor every time I saw him. I later learned that he was also a former bodybuilder, had been one of the Paracuditisti (parachutists) and reportedly spent some time in the French Foreign Legion. Pure muscle and charm, he had the most enchanting smile when he chose to laugh. It wasn’t often though. All in all, had I not known how gentle he was at heart, I would have been extremely intimidated by the mere sight of this gigantic warrior. Alex was proud and strong. Every bit the alpha male. He was also the quintessential “bad boy” I had always been so fond of. If opposites attract, then I was undoubtedly always attracted to my physical and emotional opposite. A habit I tried hard to break."
"We slapped a band-aid on a gaping wound time and again in an effort to artificially prop up public support and add a positive statement to another politician’s speech. I listened to the sly one-liners inserted into public statements, knowing the much bigger truth behind it, and I too became angry and disappointed. I noticed the bits and pieces presented to the public were anything but the full truth. I understood the rationale; we needed to maintain positive support back home for both our diplomatic goals and our military ones. Sadly, it disappointed me greatly as I came to understand the manner in which the reality would be positioned for the average American back home. Still, I was not ready to give up on us or the Iraqis just yet."
About M. A. Cary
M.A. Cary is an economic and financial management consultant to the private sector and U.S. federal government. From 2003–2007, she worked in central Baghdad. Cary holds a B.S. in International Business from Ithaca College and will receive her M.B.A. from UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School in Chapel Hill, NC in 2009.
FIRST PLACE WINNER in 2009 EVVY BOOK AWARDS!!!!
M.A. Cary is an economic and financial management consultant to the private sector and U.S. federal government. From 2003–2007, she worked in central Baghdad. Cary holds a B.S. in International Business from Ithaca College and will receive her M.B.A. from UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School in Chapel Hill, NC in 2009.