The author is a humanitarian worker for the rights of women in marginalized situations who often put her family second and her work first. Tired of living so far away and missing a lot of her sons' lives, she decides to move her three boys with her to Rwanda.

The author is ambivalent about her marriage and is also torn about continuing to work in her field. Her work takes her into difficult situations where she is constantly on the road and away from her boys. At times, she wonders if all her struggles are worth it.

I looked forward to reading this book mostly to learn about the programs and the places the author had worked, and to read about the stories of the women survivors she helped. There were some very interesting stories about women who survived the war, abusive husbands, and poverty, however, I was disappointed there weren't more life stories. Instead, I found that most of the book dealt with Sherman's own personal frustration and anger with her marriage and her abusive childhood.