The Heart You Carry Home

A novel about men returning from war, and the women who love them, by “a young writer full of energy and promise” (Jennifer Egan, author of Manhattan Beach).

Becca Keller is no stranger to the way war can change a man. Her Vietnam veteran father, King, suffered after his service, and as a result played only a limited role in his daughter’s life. Now Becca is marrying Ben, who is also just back from battle—and her mother, convinced that Becca is making the same mistakes she did, boycotts the wedding.

Ben does indeed seem different after his second tour, and only days after she marries him, he turns dangerous. Desperate, Becca turns to her father for help. But he is heading west with his motorcycle buddies—out to a place they call Kleos, a mysterious desert compound ruled over by a guru-like commanding officer. It serves as a refuge for some soldiers, but it might be the death of others.

There, Becca will be faced with the possibility that she may not know the real damage in her loved ones’ hearts. In finally seeing her father’s demons, she might just be able to start a journey back to peace with her husband.