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MWSA Review
Beyond Those Hills, a well-written account and a self-discovery, amid gunfights, a power struggle against the USSR and the rise of terrorism on the world scene.” The author, M.H.A. Menondji, meticulously documents three lives intertwined by love. This is a very interesting read – not a book to race through, or you will miss some very exciting scenes and descriptions of a young woman who becomes the first female accepted by the Navy SEALS. To put it bluntly, “She tells it like it was.”
M.H.A. Menondji is a graduate of Universities of Orleans, La Sorbonne (International Law), and Whittier College (Political Science). African-born, she migrated to the U. S. from France a decade ago. She spent a year learning the intricacies of the English language then took on the challenge of writing in a language she has learned as a third.
Considered a showcase of accelerated linguistic and cultural assimilation, her writings, and her wonderful background has given her the accolades she deserves.
Reviewed by: Bob Ruehrdanz (2011)
Author's Synopsis
Entrusted with the well being of his late best friend's daughter, Laura, former C.I.A. operative Jim Marshall had kept his promise well beyond what was expected of him. Now an accomplished young woman, Lt. Laura Armitage is the unlikely candidate to an elite US Navy unit. A tragedy shadowing her days, she reports for duty to face discrimination and the cover-ups of the Iran-contras scandal. Struggling to assess her allegiance to the flag, she stands her ground through every mission aware her tenacity may not be enough to earn her respect, including that of her jaded commanding officer, Lt. T.J. Wilkins. Beyond Those Hills: an Officer and a Lady is a multifaceted self-discovery journey amidst the power struggle against then USSR and the rise of terrorism on the world scene. It depicts three lives intertwined by love, death, lust and a sense of duty that rises above politicians' corruption. It is a compelling tale of redemption woven into the private battles of a female warrior. A selection of the 2010 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Awards MWSA 2011 Awards Nominee for Historical Fiction.