A short story by Faye Carroll
Illustrated by Joseph Slinker
August 2024
This beautifully heartfelt story reimagines love, separation, and reunion as a faithful bird returning to its home in the same tree season after season. The visual identity draws from E.H. Shepard, but with the seriousness of love and loss.
The author, Faye Carroll, shares with us her inspiration, writing process, and deep desire to support military families with the same experience.
Faye Carroll
@fayecarrollauthor
“When my husband left on his first deployment for the United States Air Force, the silver green leaves on our maple tree were just changing to golden yellow. Before the last leaf fell, winter storms were already battering the tree. Branches drooped and broke under the weight of the heavy snow.
That tree became a symbol of my experiences during that deployment. Like the tree outside, I changed. I carried the weight. I broke down. I grew.
Being the wife of an Air Force reservist has unique challenges. We live over 30 miles from the base and have only a handful of close friends who are also military-affiliated. Without a close military community, I have found connection and belonging through stories.
Books give me a community I can access from anywhere. They show me that other families, other spouses, know the struggles of keeping a family connected across oceans and deserts, and living with the worry that never really goes away.
Spring did come and new, green leaves grew on the giant tree. Winter melted away and my story began to bloom.
I Have to Go Away is my way of telling a fellow military family: at times it will feel heavy. You may even feel as though you are breaking under the weight. When the storms pass and spring comes again, you will see how much stronger you have become.”
To stay connected and find out about my other stories, follow me on Instagram at @fayecarrollauthor or check out my author page on Amazon.
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