Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this FANTASTIC book! I think the reason I love historical fiction so much is that I learn something about history that I'd never learned in school.
As the only daughter of a prominent Philadelphia family in 1917, Ruby's life, and future are decided for her.
Ruby would like to make her own decisions about her daily life and her future, and the opportunity comes in the form of putting her life on the line during WWI as a telephone operator in France.
The author does a fantastic job of weaving history in with characters we care about. I loved learning more about these brave women during WWI and their part in helping to win the war.
The most disturbing part was the information in the author's notes about these real women and how it took until 1979 for them to get their just recognition... by that time, only 28 were still alive.
This is a wonderful story about strong women during WWI that I highly recommend! ( )

I listened to the audiobook. I liked the story but didn't care for the narrator. Listening to it at double time helped. ( )

Another fabulous war genre novel from this author. I love a novel that not only moves you but educates you. I was not familiar with the service of the women of the signal corps and thoroughly enjoyed reading about them.
Great character development. This was a could not put down story. Very much a 5 star book. ( )

Another fabulous war genre novel from this author. I love a novel that not only moves you but educates you. I was not familiar with the service of the women of the signal corps and thoroughly enjoyed reading about them.
Great character development. This was a could not put down story. Very much a 5 star book. ( )

I was lucky enough to win a copy of Aimie K. Runyan’s Girls on the Line from a Goodreads Giveaway. I am thrilled to say that I have found another favorite author in the historical fiction genre. I only have a vague understanding of the role women played in World War I and after reading about the author’s desire to shine a spotlight on the bravery of women like the Hello Girls, I find myself wishing I had learned more about them during school.

Within the first few chapters, Ms. Runyan’s beautiful writing transports the reader back in time where we are introduced to Ruby Wagner, a young Philadelphia woman that belongs to a prominent family. After her brother dies, a devastated Ms. Wagner answers the Army Signal Corps’ call to duty and offers her skills as an operator overseas. The novel’s fast pace made it seem as though it was written to describe snapshots in a photo album. We follow Ruby and her fellow operators through their testing, training, and eventually to war-torn France where they work alongside Allied soldiers and adjust to life near the frontlines.

The friendships and relationships that were forged were a true delight to read. I adored Ruby and Margot. Their friendship was so heartwarming and their teasing made me laugh out loud several times.
“I’ve rarely seen someone so intimate with their thoughts.”
“What a lovely way of saying ‘brooding.’”
Still makes me chuckle when I think about it. Margot is a treasure. Additionally, I appreciated that the burgeoning relationship between Andrew and Ruby didn’t take over the story arc. In fact, as time went on it felt like their conversations and interactions really helped highlight the toll war has on both active participants and victims of circumstance and locality. Extending the story beyond the end of WWI gave us a glimpse at the efforts that go into restoring war-torn areas.

This book was so tough to put down and at the end, I decided that it will definitely be going on my list of favorite books! I will be keeping an eye on Runyan’s future work as well. I adore books that highlight realistic, strong female characters and it seems like Runyan plans to continue in this vein for a while yet. ( )