Jeane Slone

“She Built Ships” by Jeane Sloane is another winner! I loved her previous book, “She Flew Bombers: From the Factories to the Bases During World War II.

This second book is more complex as it not only follows the life of a riveter, Lolly but also her friend, but also, Sumo is taken with her family to a detention camp and lastly, the book follows another friend’s husband when he joins the Tuskegee Airman.

Lollie is married to Joe who has a quick temper and is very prejudiced against non-white races. She has a daughter, Edna, who can be a tattletale but also very responsible and a son, Joe who needs toilet training. Lolly is very alone except for her friend at the grocery store, Sumo. Her sister writes her but she lives too far away. Her husband is very restrictive and demanding. That is where the story starts.

I loved this book because it grabs your attention from the first sentence to the last. The author has done a tremendous amount of careful research which is reflected in her book. The story flows smoothly and the research is tucked into this story appropriately. One of my favorite parts of this book is the abundance of drawings and black and white photos which tell as the words in this book.

There is a lot to learn in this book, Victory Visitors, what it is like to weld and wear welding clothes, and most awful, the terrible Port Chicago explosion and the mistreatment of the blacks working at that facility.

I can say nothing wrong about this book. I recommend it very highly to people wanting to learn about the home front during World War II and all the other important history in this book. I am eagerly looking forward to Jeane Sloan’s upcoming book, “She Was A Spy During WWII”.… (plus d'informations)

Have you ever read the blurb about a book and wondered why it didn’t match your experience? This one matches and even exceeds the expectations of the blurb!

Did you know that during World War II, women pilots ferried the planes needed for combat from the factories that built them to the air bases?
This book tells the exciting story the WASP (Women Air force Service) through the eyes and ears of Violet Wiley. It is fast paced so I found myself racing through the book and then very disappointed that it had ended.
This book tells of their passion for flying, the tragedies of the war, even during the training, the elation of passing the flying tests and the bravery of the women in the WASP. The women in the WASP had to learn how to fly many different kinds of planes, that in itself is a huge challenge.

At the same time, they were receiving discrimination from the government and often the very men they were helping. They had civilian status not military so what does this mean they will wear for uniforms, what happens when one of them crashes? Think about it! What happens when they walk into a meeting to join a Veterans Association? Finally, in 1977, President Carter signed a bill into law giving them the status that they deserved.

Please read this book! I am hoping that a movie or a TV series will be made so that more people are aware of this small group of women who made a huge contribution to our country.… (plus d'informations)