Fleeing The Depression chronicles the adventures of a small town girl defying Twentieth century rules to become a strong, independent woman. Growing up, Penelope heard the older women s euphemisms about sex and mating. Never satisfied with empty explanations, she read her physician father s anatomy books to learn the truth about female bodies. Later, as a dietetic intern at one of the Army s biggest hospitals, she learned the language of combat soldiers and the horrors of war. Penelope s curiosity, sense of humor, and fearlessness emboldened her as she traveled a man s world and, through her actions and ways, helped pioneer the contours that define modern-day feminism.