When forty-five year old Ellen Michaels looses her husband to a tragic military accident, she is left in a world of grey. For twenty-five years her life has been dictated by the ubiquitous They-the military establishment that has stolen her hopes, dreams, and innocence and now in mere months will take away her home. She is left with nothing to hold on to but memories and guilt and an awful secret that has held her in its grip since she was nineteen. Written with honesty and grace, Dependent deals head on with real-life issues facing women in military communities today: loss, loneliness, frequent moves, the culture of rank and the specter of sexual assault. It presents a heartfelt view of the sacrifice and strength of the often invisible support behind the uniform.