Reviewed by Michelle Stanley for Readers' Favorite

Chosen: Commander In Chief is a lovely military fiction by Judith M. Calloway. Professor Harmon Ryland believes his sister-in-law, retired Brigadier General Rachael Ryland, would be the ideal Republican candidate to run for President. With a military career spanning thirty years, Rachael has always been a trailblazer and advocate for women’s rights and has experience in foreign relations and strategic planning. She was the first woman admitted into the United States Air Force Academy and steadily moved up the ranks, despite animosity from her male colleagues. Rachel was instrumental in paving the way for other women to enter the United States Armed Forces, although there were numerous obstacles blocking her path. Professor Ryland feels it is time that the country has an American Golda Meir as President, but how can he convince Rachael that she is the perfect candidate?

Judith M. Calloway is a remarkable writer who has written a story that offers inspiration to women who are interested in having careers usually considered “males only.” The story is very realistic and one can easily relate to or bond with its protagonist, Brigadier General Rachael Ryland. She is a strong woman, yet has her insecurities that made me like her even more. The dialogue was natural and the author approached the issues that women have to encounter in the armed forces without being biased. She also showed how their families coped with the absences of their military spouses and that was moving and thought-provoking. I enjoyed reading Chosen: Commander In Chief.