Author of A Year of Absence: Six women's stories of courage, hope, and love

Jessica Redmond has worked as a teacher, freelance journalist, Peace Corps volunteer, and community organizer, but one of her most challenging roles has been as a military wife. In April 2003, during their first year of marriage, her husband was sent to Iraq as part of the U.S. Army's First Armored Division. As the deployment dragged on, Jessica set out to discover how other wives were coping. She tells six women’s stories in her first book, A Year of Absence. Jessica has written for Stars and Stripes and The Dallas Morning News.

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To arrange interviews, please contact pr@elvaresa.com.

From Jessica's Mailbox

"I am an Army wife whose husband is on his second deployment since 2003. We are stationed at Ft. Lewis. About a month or so ago I was looking for a good book at the PX, and I found A Year of Absence. I opened the book cover and found that Mrs. Redmond had signed it 'for those who wait.'...As I stood there reading the back cover I had to fight the tears in my eyes. It has been very hard for me to cope with missing and worrying about my husband, and reading this book made me realize that I am not the only wife feeling this way. So thank you for this book.."
— Mrs. M, Ft Lewis