Karie Fugett dropped out of high school at 17. At 20, her Marine husband was wounded at war, and she became a caregiver. At 24, she became a military widow. Today, Karie is an American author who holds a BA in creative writing from the University of South Alabama and an MFA in creative nonfiction from Oregon State University. Her debut memoir, Alive Day, is about an oft-overlooked reality of war: the experience of the many thousands of caregivers and spouses—mostly women, mostly young, mostly poor—whose lives have been shattered by battles fought against enemies abroad and against addiction at home.