From New York Times bestselling author Jennifer
Chiaverini, a bold, revelatory novel about one of the great untold
stories of World War I—the women of the U.S. Army Signal Corps,
who broke down gender barriers in the military and battled a
pandemic as they helped lead the Allies to victory. “An
eye-opening and detailed novel about remarkable female soldiers. .
. Chiaverini weaves the intersecting threads of these brave
women’s lives together, highlighting their deep sense of pride
and duty.”—Kirkus Reviews  In June 1917, General John
Pershing arrived in France to establish American forces in Europe.
He immediately found himself unable to communicate with troops in
the field. Pershing needed telephone operators who could swiftly
and accurately connect multiple calls, speak fluent French and
English, remain steady under fire, and be utterly discreet, since
the calls often conveyed classified information. At the time,
nearly all well-trained American telephone operators were
women—but women were not permitted to enlist, or even to vote in
most states. Nevertheless, the U.S. Army Signal Corps promptly
began recruiting them. More than 7,600 women responded, including
Grace Banker of New Jersey, a switchboard instructor with AT&T
and an alumna of Barnard College; Marie Miossec, a Frenchwoman and
aspiring opera singer; and Valerie DeSmedt, a twenty-year-old
Pacific Telephone operator from Los Angeles, determined to strike a
blow for her native Belgium. They were among the first women sworn
into the U.S. Army under the Articles of War. The male soldiers
they had replaced had needed one minute to connect each call. The
switchboard soldiers could do it in ten seconds. Deployed
throughout France, including near the front lines, the operators
endured hardships and risked death or injury from gunfire,
bombardments, and the Spanish Flu. Not all of them would survive.
The women of the U.S. Army Signal Corps served with honor and
played an essential role in achieving the Allied victory. Their
story has never been the focus of a novel…until now.Â
General
Imprint: |
William Morrow Paperbacks
|
Country of origin: |
United States |
Release date: |
August 2023 |
Authors: |
Jennifer Chiaverini
|
Dimensions: |
203 x 135 x 27mm (L x W x T) |
Format: |
Paperback
|
Pages: |
464 |
ISBN-13: |
978-0-06-308070-6 |
Categories: |
Books >
Fiction >
General
|
LSN: |
0-06-308070-2 |
Barcode: |
9780063080706 |
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