Super Short Summary

Home Fires by Gene Wolfe is set on a resource-depleted future Earth and follows Chelle and Skip, a married couple who are separated by Chelle's military deployment to fight aliens called the Os in a distant galaxy. Due to time dilation, years pass on Earth during her brief absence, causing challenges when they're reunited. As they struggle to reconnect, their Caribbean cruise is disrupted by pirates and other threats. The novel contains themes of war, identity, and the physical and psychological impact of combat.