Brown Bag Book

Mary Greenan will lead discussion of Emily Yellin's book Our Mother's War: American Women at Home and at the Front During WWII. Participants are encouraged (but not required) to read the selection in advance. Pick up a copy at the information desk.

From School Library Journal:

An exceptionally well-written, exhaustively researched book. During World War II, females were confined to auxiliary roles. Yellin reveals all the responsibilities held by women, including help manufacturing aircraft, ships, and other munitions, and, in the process, outproducing all of America's allies and enemies, by far. Readers see war brides who worked hard to maintain the morale of their husbands while surviving long separation, fear, and shortages of virtually everything necessary to support a family. Yellin writes about performers like Betty Grable, who traveled to combat theaters to raise the spirits of soldiers, sailors, and airmen. Our Mothers' War is an important book because the role played by women in World War II has been regularly ignored. -- Alan Gropman