The After - by Michael Ramos (Paperback)

About the Book

"In twenty-four concussive, embodied, and nonlinear essays, Ramos creates a challenging and complex portrait of what it means to be a soldier, civilian, veteran, father, husband, and teacher - for Ramos ultimately becomes a creative writing professor, using the skills he developed in the military to help others tell stories and find meaning in their lives. While this may sound something like a redemption story, it is instead a brutally honest portrayal that refuses easy answers and seeks to help other war veterans realize they're not alone"--

Book Synopsis

When Michael Ramos enlisted in the Navy and was assigned to serve as a chaplain's bodyguard thirteen days before 9/11, he had no idea he would soon be sent to Iraq. But he embraced the posting, combat service, and career for a decade, until, at age thirty-four, the military told him his skill set was no longer relevant. Through divorce and remarriage, his son's choice to enlist in the Marines, the loss of friends to war and suicide, and his inability to sleep or rest, Michael struggled with the return to civilian life, and particularly with civilian attitudes toward veterans.

In twenty-four concussive, embodied, and nonlinear essays, Michael creates a challenging and complex portrait of what it means to be a warrior, civilian, veteran, father, husband, and teacher--for he ultimately uses the skills he developed in the military to help others find meaning in their lives. While this may sound like a redemption story, it is instead a brutally honest portrayal that refuses easy answers and seeks to help other war veterans realize they're not alone as they search for their place in the world.

Review Quotes

"The After is one of the most gripping and necessary veteran-written nonfiction works to be published in a very long time. . . . [A] book of complete and utter transformation, of immense vulnerability, and of an intense search for self and meaning in a society where expectations frequently do not meet reality."--Heavy Feather Review

"The gap between civilians and military personnel persists in uncomfortable and alienating ways, many that serve to prolong the homecoming odyssey. The After emerges in this gap, not as a balm or panacea but a bridge--if civilians are willing to cross it."--North Carolina Literary Review

"The After feels like a desert mirage, a masterful, dreamlike collection that allows both veteran and civilian to experience the heat, stench, and after of that desert war that no one ever really comes home from."--Kacy Tellessen, Eugene Sledge Award-winning author of Freaks of a Feather: A Marine Grunt's Memoir

"A vivid portrait of what it means to be a civilian, warrior, friend, father, husband and professor."--Assay: A Journal of Nonfiction Studies

"An intricate narrative of service, its meaning, and the life that comes after. Deeply felt. Beautifully written."--Elliot Ackerman, author of Places and Names: On War, Revolution, and Returning

"If you are a veteran, brace yourself. He hits you hard. If you're a civilian who has family members who are veterans, this is the finest look into veteran relationships that I have ever read. Mr. Ramos brings it home in a way that is devastatingly clever and well done."--Lethal Minds Journal

"Michael Ramos's raw, honest experiences chip away at the tired narrative of the broken veteran. His voice speaks for many and offers an opportunity for those removed from the toll of war to understand its impacts."--Heather Kelly, coauthor of The Knock at the Door: Three Gold Star Families Bonded by Grief and Purpose

"Powerfully written, unflinching accounts of life on active duty--essential reading for anyone who cares about our veterans."--Kirkus Reviews (STARRED review)

"Ramos's restlessly circling, lyric voice makes coming home not a singular event but a cycle of returns. This is more than a military memoir: it's remarkable witness for anyone struggling to define their sense of self." --Graham Barnhart, author of The War Makes Everyone Lonely