From the moment she arrives for basic training in the Canadian Armed Forces, at eighteen years old, Kelly knows she doesn’t belong. Despite growing up in a military family, her search for an artistic identity clashes with her career that demands conformity. She encounters frequent sexism and misogyny that conflicts with her feelings of pride and loyalty to the Forces. When she sustains a career-altering injury, Kelly must re-examine what being a soldier means to her. GIRLS NEED NOT APPLY: Field Notes From The Forces is an honest, readable memoir from an award-winning author. McClelland & Stewart released the book yesterday, August 20, 2019.
Kelly S. Thompson is a former captain in the Canadian Armed Forces and is now a writer and editor based out of the Toronto area. Her work has appeared in Maclean’s, Chatelaine, Maisonneuve, and various anthologies and collections. Her essay “Basically Broken” appeared in the bestselling 2017 anthology Everyday Heroes. Her essays “We Are a (Military) Family” and “Strip, Reveal and Sex Appeal” have both won the Barbara Novak Award for Excellence in Personal Essay. This is her first book.