Beyond the Point by Claire Gibson (Review by Caitlin Winkler)
This book pulled me in from the first page; not in the way that a page-turning mystery does, but more so that I know from the first few pages that this book with affect me while reading it. Claire Gibson has written a beautiful, heartbreaking novel that discusses various topics including women in the military, bonds forged, and loss. I laughed and cried in public reading this, which is a good indicator to me of how I feel about a story.
Three narrators walk us through the story; Hannah, the all-American girl, Dani, the superior athlete, and Avery, the “wild one”. We see them decide to attend West Point for college, navigate being women cadets, and live their lives after “the Point”. The friendship forged between the three is captivating and engaging. While they lead very different lives and carry their own reasons for the decisions they make, the bond between the three is wonderful!
Not only did I enjoy this book immensely, but it also made me want to read as much non-fiction as I could find about the history of West Point and, specifically, women in West Point. “Duty, Honor, Country” is a motto of the armed forces and plays a pivotal role in our story. I would highly recommend this novel!