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MWSA Review
Mari Eder has done a great service to both the U.S. military and women who found themselves in various military roles during World War II. In this book, she presents the stories of women serving as pilots and spies, nurses and administrative innovators. In each case these women's enemies were bureaucracies, racism, sexism, and the general belief that women couldn't achieve what they achieved. In fact, all of their achievements added greatly to the Allied war effort. Some suffered under the hands of fascist torturers, but all of these endured, most living to deep old age. These women were ultimately recognized for their efforts, although many years later, and many continued on in the service of the U.S. following World War II. Ms. Eder's book is a fine—and needed—chapter to the U.S. military's role in this war.
Review by Bob Mustin (March 2022)
Author's Synopsis
The Girls Who Stepped Out of Line: Untold Stories of the Women Who Changed the Course of World War II is about many of the heroes of the Greatest Generation whose stories have slipped away into history. These women who did extraordinary things didn't expect thanks and shied away from medals and recognition. Despite their amazing accomplishments, they've gone mostly unheralded and unrewarded, but no longer. These are the women of World War II who served, fought, struggled, and made things happen―in and out of uniform. Eder features 15 women who risked their own lives to gather intelligence, transport materials or information, help protect those in greater need, or to enable successful operations against the enemy. Each story is filled with details about how and why the women answered their individual calls to service based on their varied backgrounds, nationalities, and family situations. She details the women’s struggles, severe injuries, loss of loved ones, and how each went on to contribute to society at the war’s end. These stories and more reveal the secrets of those women who didn’t just make history, they created the future.
Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle
Review Genre: Nonfiction—Creative Nonfiction
Number of Pages: 400