Untold Stories of the Women Who Changed the Course of World War II
by Mari Eder
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Readers' rating:
Published Aug 2021
400 pages
Genre: History, Current Affairs and Religion
Publication Information
For fans of Radium Girls and history and WWII buffs, The Girls Who Stepped Out of Line takes you inside the lives and experiences of 15 unknown women heroes from the Greatest Generation, the women who served, fought, struggled, and made things happen during WWII - in and out of uniform, for theirs is a legacy destined to embolden generations of women to come.
The Girls Who Stepped Out of Line are the heroes of the Greatest Generation that you hardly ever hear about. These women who did extraordinary things didn't expect thanks and shied away from medals and recognition. Despite their amazing accomplishments, they've gone mostly unheralded and unrewarded. No longer. These are the women of World War II who served, fought, struggled, and made things happen―in and out of uniform.
Liane B. Russell fled Austria with nothing and later became a renowned U.S. scientist whose research on the effects of radiation on embryos made a difference to thousands of lives. Gena Turgel was a prisoner who worked in the hospital at Bergen-Belsen and cared for the young Anne Frank, who was dying of typhus. Gena survived and went on to write a memoir and spent her life educating children about the Holocaust. Ida and Louise Cook were British sisters who repeatedly smuggled out jewelry and furs and served as sponsors for refugees, and they also established temporary housing for immigrant families in London.
Retired U.S. Army Major General Mari K. Eder wrote this book because she knew their stories needed to be told―and the sooner the better. For theirs is a legacy destined to embolden generations of women to come.
"This brisk and informative survey is a worthy tribute to the trailblazing women of WWII." - Publishers Weekly
"A chronicle of a group of courageous women whose contributions to World War II 'put comic book heroines to shame'...The author fills her accounts with invented dialogue and novelistic thoughts, but her subjects worked hard, often behaving heroically and suffering for it, so that's a minor quibble. Inspiring stories of women warriors who deserve greater attention." - Kirkus Reviews
"Straightforward, eye-opening, and invaluable collection...this group biography offers a breezy tone, historic photographs, and plenty of lively anecdotes to bring its subjects to vivid life. " - Booklist
"My appreciation for the veterans in my own family who served during World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War, coupled with the tragedy of 9/11 and the sacrifices made since, led me to absolutely consider myself a 'grateful American'—for the blessings of freedom provided by those who wear the cloth of our nation. Major General (Ret.) Mari K. Eder has without a doubt elevated my sense of gratitude even higher. The stories of extraordinary courage, service, and sacrifice by the women she highlights in this book, and all others who served similarly yet have not had their stories told, should inspire all who read this to be grateful Americans as well!" - Gary Sinise, Actor and humanitarian
"We don't think of the women of WWII as young girls determined to make a difference. But these women, and thousands like them, did. They networked, connected, and supported one another. When the war ended, that network collapsed, a victim of culture and society's focus on a 'return to normal.' We can't forget what they sacrificed and what they've given to us, and this book helps us do just that." - Michelle Tillis Lederman, author of The Connector's Advantage and The 11 Laws of Likability
"This book fills a historic void about Lieutenant Colonel Charity Adams and others who stepped out of line to succeed, because the "lines" did not support race, gender, or mission. Their moral courage and leadership knocked down many barriers within the military and beyond." - Colonel (Ret.) Edna W. Cummings, U.S. Army Six Triple Eight Advocate/Producer
This information about The Girls Who Stepped Out of Line was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Mari K. Eder, retired U.S. Army Major General, is a renowned speaker and author, and a thought leader on strategic communication and leadership. General Eder has served as Director of Public Affairs at the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies and as an adjunct professor and lecturer in communications and public diplomacy at the NATO School and Sweden's International Training Command. She served in a number of senior positions in the Pentatgon, on the Army Staff, as Deputy Chief of Public Affairs and Deputy Chief of the Army Reserve, and with DoD's Reserve Forces Policy Board. General Eder speaks and writes frequently on communication topics in universities and for international audiences and consults on communications issues.
Maj. Gen. Eder has an established record of scholarship, research, and publishing. Her book, Leading the Narrative: The Case for Strategic Communication, is used in a number of university communications courses. Her latest communications book, American Cyberscape: Trials and the Path to Trust, was released in November 2020. She is the author of numerous case studies and articles on military ethics, leadership, and strategic communications as well as two books of children's stories.
A deeply inspirational book, The Girls Who Stepped Out of Line, was released in August of 2021.
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