IN THE COMPANY OF MEN: A Woman at the Citadel

In a narrative studded with hard-hitting details, the collaborators chronicle Mace's life as the first female cadet ever to graduate from The Citadel, Charleston's almost 160-year-old military college. After a rather slow-moving account of her childhood years, the narrative picks up the pace significantly, shifting the focus to Mace's experiences at the college. From day one, Mace was under constant media scrutiny. She assiduously avoids self-pity as she describes—at times in raw and racy yet realistic language—the "racking," or harassment, she endured as a first-year "knob." Though she acknowledges this treatment by upperclassmen "was just part of the system," she also notes that she was at times clearly targeted because of her gender. After her brigadier general father was appointed Commandant of the Corps at the college during her second semester, she was "no longer just hazed for being a girl, but also for being my father's daughter." Yet despite a grueling physical regimen and the emotional toll these intimidation tactics took, this highly personal story is ultimately one of triumph. The events prove more compelling than the writing itself, which can be repetitive and rather meandering, but readers curious about the inner workings of the military will be caught up in Mace's experience. The book will likely have crossover sales in the adult market, especially in the South. Ages 13-up. (Nov.)