Book excerpt: For generations, men have left their homes and families to defend their country while their wives, mothers and daughters remained safely at home, outwardly unaffected. A closer examination reveals that women have always been directly impacted by war. In the last few years, they have actively participated on the front lines. This book tells the story of the women who documented the impact of war on their lives through their art. It includes works by professional artists and photographers, combat artists, ordinary women who documented their military experiences, and women who worked in a variety of types of needlework. Taken together, these images explore the female consciousness in wartime.