Last Resort

Lieutenant and Chief Navigator of the Colorado, Grace is among the first wave of female officers to serve on US submarines. Being a pioneer is never easy, and Grace’s commission is made more difficult by being tinged with nepotism. Grace’s father, Admiral Arthur Shepard, not only has an office at the Pentagon, he counts Marcus as a longtime friend. Grace has to endure the grumbling of the enlisted men, knowing that, on some level, their resentment is justified. Her only recourse is to earn the respect of the crew in her own right – stand on her own two feet without Daddy or Marcus propping her up. Grace’s proving ground presents itself sooner than expected – a baptism by gunfire from which she emerges wounded but victorious, and also quietly exhilarated. As she moves through this volatile emotional terrain, Grace will discover a hunger for leadership.