The stories in this collection explore the physical and psychological effects of combat, both on those who serve and those back home. Told from the points of view of spouses and children as well as the soldiers themselves, the stories tackle 11 different scenarios spanning five American wars. Guilt and acceptance, despair and hope, selfishness and sacrifice, and above all, love, blend together as characters come to realize maybe their feelings aren’t futile after all.

Eleven stories of what it means to love a soldier:

• A girlfriend explains why she knew her boyfriend wouldn’t come back from the front.
• A stranger reminds a veteran what matters in life.
• A wife struggles to trust her husband with their baby after he returns from deployment.
• Old friends search for a way to reclaim the dreams and plans of their childhood.
• A woman haunted by her experiences finds an unlikely ally.
• One man’s enlistment creates ripple effects for generations as four sons seek to make sense of what they and their fathers are fighting for.

The Futility of Loving a Soldier by E.D. Martin.

Evolved Publishing presents a collection of interconnected short stories focused on the difficulties of maintaining relationships with troubled soldiers who've returned from war, from the author of the women's fiction novel Yours to Keep or Throw Aside.