2 Min read
On publication
Book launch at West Point Athena’s Arena conference (April 20-22)
Debut author
On writing
An excerpt from the upcoming book
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I was a bit emotional, I admit.
The books arrived in ordinary, brown boxes, like the ones you might get on your front porch with running shoes or the mega pack of floodlights. And when I opened it, I sat there, holding it in my hands. My daughter was watching and snapped the photo, asking me to look up.
Raising Athena exists in the world. And no longer is it just megabytes of data in a file, but a hard copy and in-your-hands book. And next week, it will be available on Amazon.
The book launch is on April 21st.
And I will have an author’s table on April 20 to April 22 at the Athena’s Arena conference at West Point, which seemed the ideal venue for the release of a mother and daughter book that takes place there.
If you’re around next Monday to Wednesday and anywhere near West Point, stop by Eisenhower Hall. My daughter–the main character in the book–will be able to join me!
I will be signing books and hope to see you.
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A reviewer suggested this closing from my acknowledgements should be on the dedication page. Write and let me know what you think.
The greatest of gifts— to lay down one’s life— is a weight carried by survivors, by parents, by spouses, by families. Only the parents and family know this fear and it is a fear of injury and ultimate loss, the sacrifice of their greatest blessing.
This last wish goes to them, the parents whose children serve in harm’s way, and to the warriors who stand in the gap between their home and the enemy: the nation would not be here without you. And, I would not be here without you.
— Raising Athena, p. 313
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There’s one week left of Goodreads Giveaways — please register to win one of 100 copies! If you Know anyone who might be interested, please share.
Goodreads Book Giveaway
Raising Athena
by Mylinh Brewster Shattan
Giveaway ends April 22, 2026.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.
Why does anyone join the military? What’s changed for women in the past three decades? What hasn’t?
Raising Athena is a passionate, nuanced, often philosophical testament to the dedication and courage of those who protect our country. This memoir explores in intimate detail the stories we tell ourselves—about war, the disconnect between myth and reality, and what it means to serve.
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