Barbara K. McNally - Wounded Warrior, Wounded Wife: Not Just Surviving But Thriving

EARLY PRAISE FOR

WOUNDED WARRIOR,
WOUNDED WIFE

Through the stories she shares in this book, Barbara McNally helps us understand a topic that nobody wants to talk about. Nobody, that is, except for the millions of women who havent had a voice.

Laura Bauer, Rosalynn Carter Foundation
www.rosalynncarter.org

Wounded Warrior, Wounded Wife gives a much-needed voice to the 5.5 million hidden heroes across the country who care for our nations wounded warriors. Through these stories, Barbara McNally provides an insightful and moving look at the unique challenges caregivers face on a daily basis and inspires us all to take action.

Steve Schwab, Executive Director,
the Elizabeth Dole Foundation

Barbaras approach on Sexuality through a very genuine dialogue of women experiencing challenges with intimacy was a high point for me. As a clinician that works with those living with a disability, this relatable chapter will be a major reference in practice. She clearly points out the importance of knowing that you are not the only one needing an alternate solutions to reclaiming intimacy. I was overwhelmed by the stories of resiliency and creativity!

Nicole J. Johnson, MSW, MA, LCSW;
US Department of Veteran Affairs

Its critical that caregivers have the opportunity to share their stories and Wounded Warrior Wounded Wife covers everything from personal stories to practical and useful advice. There is often no acknowledgment for caregivers. Barbara gives a voice to many who have never been heard. Thank you Barbara for promoting health, wellness, and stress reduction among caregivers and ultimately preventing caregiver burnout.

Sara Boz, PhD,
operationhomefront.net, www.heartsofvalor.org

I applaud Barbara McNally for bringing greater attention and awareness to a subject that so many struggle with. Through the stories and inspiration in her book, Wounded Warrior Wounded Wife, we see the opportunity to find healing at the end of an often very dark tunnel.

Dave Towe, Executive Director, Wave Academy,
www.waveacademy.org

Very inspiring and encouraginga must-read for those who are caregivers for our wounded warriors. Especially loved the story of Mai and Lanh!

Penny Lambright, Founder, Patriots & Paws
www.patriotsandpaws.org

A captivating ride through tragedy, trauma, resiliency, and strength of our amazing military caregivers. Our stories are our heartbeat, the threads that bind us together now and through the generations. Barbara has allowed these amazing women an opportunity to not only share their stories, but also a chance to evaluate and rewrite when necessary. Stories of weakness have become stories of strength. Stories of hopelessness have shifted into stories of survival. Her passion and desire to matter are evident through her writing, her mission, and her actions. A must read.

Dr. Jude Black LPC, NCC, CEO | Founder E-Therapy Caf
www.e-therapycafe.com

Barbara McNally shines the spotlight on the 1.1 million Post-9/11 military and veteran caregivers who so often live in the shadows. The women featured in this book are unsung heroes, that face daily challenges, caring for their families that have been forever changed by the wars. Kudos to Ms.McNally for elevating the visibility of military and veteran caregivers everywhere.

Lorie Van Tilburg, Executive Director,
Southern Caregiver Resource Center
www.caregivercenter.org

Barbara McNallys Wounded Warrior Wounded Wife is a must read for wives attempting to understand and support their husbands as they struggle with reorienting their lives after suffering service related trauma. Over the years, within Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing, I have witnessed just how important it is for couples to understand each other in a totally different emotional and physical environment. Barbaras book should find a place in all homes where greater insight and help is needed for couples struggling to meet the challenges of a new order.

Ed Nicholson, Capt, USN (RET) Founder and President,
Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing
www.projecthealingwaters.org

Wounded Warrior, Wounded Wife is powerful and engaging, a much needed acknowledgement that family members are serving, too. Barbara McNally profoundly shares through their stories the extraordinary challenges they face. We must do more in providing support and resources to all members of military families, and especially for those who have had to shift their lives and become caretakers. I will be recommending this book as a must-read for all who work with military members!

Lynn Thomas, LCSW, Founder & CEO, EAGALA
(Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association),
eagala.org

Wounded Warrior, Wounded Wife shines a critical spotlight on the heroes behind the heroes: wives thrust into the role of inspiring caregivers to their returning wounded warriors. In telling their individual stories, Barbara McNallys words resonate with each of us, whether we are caregivers, family, friends, or anyone wanting to be inspired by how these amazing women each met adversity head-on, with courage and class.

Marjorie Morrison, author of The Inside Battle and
founder of Psych Armor
http://www.psycharmor.org/gala-sponsorship

Not only does Barbara McNally write with passion, but she also reminds all of us that while an individual person may go off to war, it is the entire family that truly serves. In Wounded Warrior, Wounded Wife, we are shown the raw emotions and struggles that Veterans and their families must face when the fighting stops but the battle rages on at home

Dr. Rob Uniszkiewicz, author of The Bucket List Chronicles,
http://www.koehlerbooks.com/books-2/books/bucket-list-chronicles/

In the closing years of Americas longest war, Barbara exposes what many suspected but never voiced: Spousal Post Traumatic Stress. She brings to light in her work the fact that where theres a wounded warrior, theres a wounded lover. Her research interviewing hundreds of warriors wives addresses the unasked question, what happens to the warriors spouse after the battles are over? A must read for military family readiness groups and concerned citizens.

Command Sergeant Major Dennis J. Woods,
author of Black Flag Journals, www.threattec.com/

In Wounded Warrior, Wounded Wife Barbara McNally offers hope to the millions of wives struggling to cope with the unseen afflictions of wounded heroes returning from the Middle East. It is a must read for every woman struggling to rescue her husband from throes of his demons, including PTSD, sexual dysfunction, anger issues, depression, and others, each with the specter of suicide lurking in the shadows of his mind. McNally possesses a hard-earned encyclopedic knowledge of her subject, and compassion and understanding drip from her every word. Had I the power to award it, she would receive a silver star, at the very least!

Larry Rogers, MD, author of Sword and Scalpel: A Doctor Looks Back at Vietnam and M. Gazi Yasargil: Father of Modern Neurosurgery

Wounded Warrior, Wounded Wife will open your heart and inspire you to be a part of veterans and their spouses lives.

Elise Anne Marie, author of Toy Soldiers
www.eliseannemarie.com

Barbara McNallys Wounded Warrior, Wounded Wife grips your heart and wont let go. Through a series of factual sketches, McNally paints a much larger portrait, one of courage, commitment, and love in the face of tragedy. Although the warriors injuries bear some similarity in cause and impact, the real story lies in the diversity of the effect on their wives and how they respond when thrust into the unfamiliar and demanding role of caregiver. The result is a master class on Post Traumatic Growth, the positive change experienced by people who face a major crisis in their life. Kudos to McNally for the support she provides the wives though her SPA (Support, Purpose and Appreciation) days and for sharing their stories with us.