How one woman took on the Ministry of Defense after her husband Mark was killed in action.

"I warned you Brenda, that's what you get for dating a soldier - heartache. A life of heartache." It's an army spouse's worst nightmare. It's what you fear more than anything. But fear cannot prepare you for the reality, or the desperate heartache. I Married a Soldier tells the deeply moving, true story of Brenda Hale whose husband, Mark, was taken from her in an instant while serving in Afghanistan. In the midst of the grief, distress, and financial confusion caused by Mark's death, Brenda became determined to fight for the rights of her two daughters and their futures. Her campaigning to support bereaved forces families eventually led her into politics, where she rose to be a member of the Northern Ireland Assembly. This is the powerful story of how one woman found a way through an event that threatened to crush her, by drawing on her faith in God and on a personal strength she didn't know she had.

"I have just read the book in one sitting. It is a great story, pacy, and an easy read . I very much enjoyed reading this account of family, faith, love and hope for the future. In her election speech in May 2011, Brenda said: “Army wives are a very special breed of person. We are strong and we are tough and you have to use that toughness and just keep moving forward.” This book will hopefully inspire others to move forward." - Chaplain General

"As a journalist, people often ask if I am affected by the stories I cover ? Three years ago I interviewed a bereaved young widow called Brenda Hale. I heard her story, saw her home and met her children. Her heart was completely broken, and listening to her pain and love for her lost husband Mark broke mine as well. If you have ever lost the love of your life, you will cry reading this book, and you will understand what inspired Brenda to take up a life of public service. Her story is obviously a love story and she did indeed marry a soldier. As for Mark, who did he marry? Well, in my view he wasn't the only `warrior' in the Hale household. Am I affected by stories? Very definitely, as you will be too." - TV prsenter

"We live in a broken world where there is much pain and sadness which causes some people to become bitter and angry. Brenda Hale’s account of her experience of that brokenness in the loss of her hero husband, Mark, is a wonderful illustration of how good can overcome evil, and how true faith grows strong in the face of the most awful tragedies. When I had the privilege of visiting Brenda in the immediate aftermath of her loss, she showed remarkable fortitude, dignity and strength. Her life and service since then bears testimony to the authenticity and reality of the faith which she and Mark shared. This is an inspirational account which will profoundly affect all who read it." - former Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Ireland