Inspired by the fact that so little was known of the female stories of the Vietnam War years and determined to give voice to the women of her generation, debut novelist Rita Dragonette drew upon her personal experiences as a student on an army scholarship in 1969-1970 and crafted this compelling, coming-of-age historical novel.

Private First Class Judy Talton celebrates her 19th birthday by secretly joining the antiwar movement on her college campus. As the recipient of an army scholarship and the daughter of a military family, Judy has a lot to lose. But her doubts about the ethics of war have escalated, especially after her birthdate is pulled as the first in the new draft lottery. If she were a man, she would have been among the first off to Vietnam with an under-fire life expectancy measured in seconds. The stakes become clear for Judy as she is propelled towards a life-altering choice as fateful as that of any lottery draftee, yet also finds herself down a path of self-discovery and, ultimately, a “coming of conscience."

Kirkus Reviews called this debut “an often fresh take on the collegiate anti-war movement in small-town America.”

» Click here to read a Q&A with Rita Dragonette.