Introduction

2025 Golden Crown Literary Awards Winner in General Non-Fiction
2024 Sarton Women’s Book Award Winner in Memoir

“A powerful consideration of the tension between personal integrity and serving one’s country.” --Kirkus Reviews, starred review

Karen Solt, an eighteen-year-old nonconformist with an alcohol problem, is working at a gas station when a slick Navy recruiter railroads her into enlisting in the military. Before she knows it, she is on a ship in the Deep South, struggling to navigate not only a world much different from her small Northern Arizona hometown but also her new discovery: she’s gay.

Figuring out her sexuality clarifies many things, but also creates a daunting new set of problems, for Karen. It’s 1984: being gay in the Navy is considered a crime, and gay Sailors are regularly hunted by the Navy Criminal Investigative Service. Discovery means being kicked out, and by this point she is committed to the uniform (and to remaining with her first girlfriend, who is also enlisted). So she learns to hide her secret and find a way to serve—and even thrive professionally—without getting caught. But concealing her truth ultimately leads to devastating consequences.

A story of desire, addiction, the damage of secrets, the power of community, and the soul-crushing cost of turning people into “others,” Hiding for my Life is a celebration of the resilience of the human spirit—and a poignant call for each of us to come out from hiding and live our truth.

Editorial Review

No Editorial Review Currently Available

Excerpt

Witch Hunts

The U.S. military had policies prohibiting homosexuals from serving starting at the beginning of World War II. In 1984, the Department of Defense’s policy on homosexuality stated: “Homosexuality is incompatible with military service. The presence in the military environment of persons who engage in homosexual conduct or who, by their statements, demonstrate a propensity to engage in homosexual conduct, seriously impairs the accomplishment of the military mission. The presence of such members adversely affects the ability of the Military Services to maintain discipline, good order, and morale; to foster mutual trust and confidence among service members; to ensure the integrity of the system of rank and command; to facilitate assignment and worldwide deployment of service members who frequently must live and work under close conditions affording minimal privacy; to recruit and retain members of the Military Services; to maintain public acceptability of military service; and to prevent breaches of security.” Also, according to DOD, a homosexual is “a person, regardless of sex, who engages in, desires to engage in, or intends to engage in homosexual acts.” ... view entire excerpt...

Discussion Questions

From the author:

1. Did this memoir connect you to the ways and the reasons you have had to hide (or still hide) in your own life and, if so, how?

2. Have your opinions about LGBTQ+ people voluntarily serving America in the military changed in any way?

3. Was there one specific character that you identified with and why?

4. How did you like the author’s writing style and the pacing of the book?

5. How did you feel about the Navy, shipboard life, and other personal scenes since the majority of the memoir was written in first person, present tense?

6. Did you feel satisfied with the ending and where the author finds herself today?

7. If you had to sum up this memoir in one word, what would it be?

8. If you could ask the author one question, what would it be?

Weblinks

»	Hideology website
»	CNN Profile of the author
»	Storycircle award winner
»	Author Profile in Kirkus Review

Book Club Recommendations

Recommended to book clubs by 0 of 0 members.

Member Reviews

There are no user reviews at this time.
Rate this book