Beyond the Point

This debut novel opens at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point on the eve of September 11, 2001. Dani, Hannah and Avery are about to begin four demanding years there, and they come to understand that they will only get through together. The school's motto, Duty, Honor, Country, is one every cadet swears to uphold.

Dani arrives with athletic gifts and a sharp mind, and she handles the academy's largely male world with confidence while building new friendships. Hannah is the granddaughter of a celebrated Army general who warns her about what lies ahead. She goes forward anyway, guided by her faith, and when she meets the person she expects to spend her life with, her plans seem to be falling into place. Avery is a free spirit who enjoys bending the rules, though she struggles with self-doubt that pulls her toward trouble.

The story follows the three women beyond the academy gates, into careers, romance and the demands of military life. As they are drawn in different directions, their friendship is tested, and the book asks whether their bond can hold. It is a novel about how the people closest to us can become our strongest allies, and about the struggles that rarely show up in uniform.