The powerful true story of a heroic couple whose love for their country was matched only by their love for each other. Mike and Kate Blaise fell in love during high school in small-town Macon, Missouri. Sharing a deep sense of patriotism, they both entered the U.S. Army—she as a commissioned officer and he as an enlisted infantry soldier who later became a helicopter pilot with the Air Cavalry. Forced to accept the realities of a military marriage yet determined to stay with her husband, Kate passed up her dream assignment in the United States to be with Mike, who was deployed to Korea. But they never imagined a day like 9/11 or the military aftermath that sent them to Iraq, where Mike would lose his life in combat.
A memoir unlike any other, The Heart of a Soldier captures the human side of war through the eyes of a unique insider. Delivering a candid take on life as a woman in the military as well as the grueling challenges facing all who serve, Kate Blaise takes us from the dreams of her idealistic youth to her final days with Mike, when she served in the battalion that provided support to his unit in Iraq. In vivid scenes, she describes her personal evolution as a female officer and a wife—and the incalculable price she and Mike paid in service to a country they love. Both a tribute and a work of riveting narrative, The Heart of a Soldier puts an unforgettable new face on love and war.
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"Wow! Even though you know from the start how it ends, it just breaks your heart to think of how many of those stories now exist. Very interesting from the viewpoint of what is really happening there vs. what we hear on the news. "
— Leah (5 out of 5 stars)
" A story we should all read as we ponder what the war in Iraq is costing all of us. "
— Joelle, 3/18/2009" Great true story of a Missouri woman's life and the love she lost because of war. "
— Miya, 12/2/2008Capt. Kate Blaise was a US Army logistics captain in the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault). Her husband, Mike Blaise, was a chief warrant officer helicopter pilot in the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault). Kate is now serving in the Missouri National Guard.
Dana White is the coauthor of Picabo: Nothing to Hide, and a collaborator on several titles including The Heart of a Soldier. Her articles have appeared in numerous publications, including The New York Times, Self, and Women’s Sports and Fitness.
Melissa Edris has been in the voice-over business for over ten years. Her voice can be heard on numerous television and radio commercials as well as narration projects, promos, and audiobooks.