Corporal Cannon: A Female Marine in Afghanistan

This memoir tells the story of one woman’s experience in a 2010 Afghanistan combat zone as a U.S. Marine and its aftereffects on her life. The book begins with Cannon considering suicide and dealing with a positive pregnancy test. It then, in largely chronological order, unfolds the backstory of how she got to this point, primarily focusing on her military training in data communications and the physical strain she experienced in the Marines. The author states directly that this book was written as a form of self-therapy, to share her experiences as a way of unburdening herself, and to let others in similar situations know that there can be hope. For those readers who have never experienced war firsthand, Cannon’s memoir is a visceral account; its value to those audiences lies in listening to her voice, rather than making moral judgments about her choices. The author does not claim to represent all women in the U.S. military, or to represent all experiences of the war in Afghanistan; instead, she offers her tale as an individual story of pain, bitterness, regret, and finally some acceptance.