Pure Grit

This was an engaging, well-researched look at a little-known part of history. These ladies were tough! I think the post-war chapter about how little care these women received is especially heartbreaking and might be especially resonant to read now, when stories about mental health services for veterans are in the news pretty often (although the US definitely still has a lot of work to do on that front, at least we've moved forward from a doctor telling a nurse who has spent 3 years in a POW camp “well, there's nothing wrong with your appetite!” ... we have, right?)

I did kind of wish the book had maybe followed a few nurses in particular rather than snippets about so many of them, but I understand there are very little records to go on here, and of course it does feel right to honor as many of these heroic nurses as possible. Maybe what I really want to read is good historical fiction about a WWII POW Army nurse based on the research from this book? Someone plz write that, kthx

also I'm thinking about booktalking this to junior high kids because it's an interesting topic and WWII books are usually popular. This book is interesting in how it casually dips on the fear women had of being raped, and there's one part where the head nurse writes how proud she is that none of the women in the POW camp were “selling favors”... overall I think it's a pretty light touch on the really horrific situation.