In 2010 the U.S. Army Special Operations Command created Cultural Support Teams, a pilot program to put women on the battlefield alongside Army Rangers, Navy SEALs, and other special operations teams on sensitive missions in Afghanistan. The idea was that women could access places and people that had remained out of reach and could build relationships in ways that male soldiers in a conservative, traditional country could not. Though officially banned from combat, female soldiers could be “attached” to different teams, and special ops recruiting posters urged them to join the mission and “become part of history.”

In Ashley’s War, Gayle Tzemach Lemmon uses exhaustive firsthand reporting and finely tuned understanding of the complexities of war to tell the story of a team of women handpicked from across the Army, Guard, and Reserve. At the center of this story is a friendship cemented by Glee, CrossFit, and the shared perils of up close combat. At the heart of the team is the tale of a dedicated and beloved soldier, First Lieutenant Ashley White.

Much as she did in her bestselling The Dressmaker of Khair Khana, Lemmon transports readers to a world they previously had no idea existed: a community of women called to serve a cause greater than themselves and bound together by danger, valor, and determination. Ashley’s War is a gripping combat narrative and a moving story of friendship—a book that will change the way readers think about war and the meaning of service. Indeed, in the wake of Ashley’s War, all combat roles have been opened to women. This story is one part of the march toward equality in the armed forces.

“An unforgettable story . . . will inspire you and remind you of the power that comes with defying limits.”—Sheryl Sandberg, author of Lean In