Kopp Sisters on the March

3.5 stars. Loses a little richness because this is the first book in the series that is not based on real events in the Kopp sisters' lives. But still a worthwhile read, as Stewart weaves in lots of historical background from 1917, including the National Service Schools for women and the unfortunate, infamous Beulah Binford. As usual Stewart not so subtly uses the plight of women almost exactly 100 years ago to compare and contrast with our current lives. Sure, women can serve in combat positions in the army now instead of learning how to wrap bandages and make hospital beds, but the sexism that they experience has only moderated, not disappeared. Stewart also really makes the reader feel for Constance and Beulah as they try to take control of their lives and make proactive decisions in a world that doesn't give them many options. Of course Constance ends up running the camp; her ability to take charge is obvious no matter what setting she's in, but it's more interesting to watch her slowly recover from the devastating disappointment of [b:Miss Kopp Just Won't Quit 37570554 Miss Kopp Just Won't Quit (Kopp Sisters, #4) Amy Stewart https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1519261806l/37570554.SY75.jpg 59181777]. I'm eager to see whether the choice she makes at the book's end pans out (and whether her story continues to become more speculation and less history-based). Constance is almost overshadowed by Beulah Binford, who is desperate to go to France and help the war effort so she can escape the notoriety she has earned pretty much through no fault of her own. She's not a particularly likable character, but she evinces a great deal of sympathy as she gradually reveals a past that started with an opium-addicted mother and got worse from there. Stewart gives her a realistic but hopeful ending. If the real Beulah Binford met a different fate, I don't want to know it.It's unusual for me to enjoy a series that doesn't involve some sort of romance, but I've become a big fan of the Kopp sisters and look forward to next year's installment of their story.