No Peace After War ― 26 Short Stories and Poems Illustrating Life After Combat

They are trained to be unbreakable, to put their lives on the line for America’s protection and freedom. But for the courageous members of the armed forces, coming home after the horrors of combat often introduces a whole new set of battles. The things they’ve seen and the traumas they have endured can often cast a haunting shadow and a creeping sense of terror over every aspect of their lives.

Too often, these uncomfortable realities remain unspoken—a nameless, faceless sensation too painful to mention. But in No Peace After War, author Claire St. Hilaire gives a voice to the atrocities that soldiers must face even after their service has ended.

In “Betrayed,” a soldier examines the missing pieces of what his life once was. In “Guts,” a series of diary entries explores the relationship between a wife with colon cancer and her husband struggling to push his PTSD aside. And in the poem “Medication,” the contradictions in the medical treatment of veterans are brought to light.

These and other topics are addressed in St. Hilaire’s captivating collection of poems and short stories—exposing the biggest difficulties that soldiers face after coming home in a uniquely haunting style.