Honor Bound: An American Story of Dreams and Service

McGrath’s debut memoir chronicles her rise, from first female Marine to fly an F/A-18 in combat, to candidate challenging one of the most powerful men in the U.S. Senate: Mitch McConnell. Her book begins with an idyllic series of stories of her childhood in Kentucky, all of which are demonstrative of her key values, including the teachings of the Catholic Church, the importance of family, and a strong love of sports and home. Hard work and sacrifice helped McGrath gain entrance to the U.S. Naval Academy (where she later returned as an instructor), complete training and become a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps, and make it through combat deployments in the Middle East. Since childhood, she strove to challenge gender inequality, believing strongly that women should not be held back in the military, or any other occupation, solely on the basis of sex. Her ethics and belief in the power of citizens to enact change led her to a policy career in Washington, and later to a challenging political career in her home state of Kentucky.