Stone Frigate

A memoir from the first female cadet admitted to the Royal Military College of Canada.

Kate Armstrong was an ordinary young woman eager to leave an abusive childhood behind her when she became the first female cadet admitted to the Royal Military College of Canada. As she struggled for survival in the ultimate boys club, she called on her fierce and humourous spirit to push back against the whims of a domineering and patriarchal organization. Later in life, feeling unfulfilled in her post-military career, she realized that finding her true path forward meant she had to go back to the beginning and reclaim the truth of what she had experienced all those years ago.

This striking memoir captures the terror and excitement of a young woman forging ahead through sheer force of will. Harrowing and at times funny, her story offers hope that we can find better ways of rising above sexism.