Switchboard Soldiers by Jennifer Chiaverini

 Switchboard Soldiers by Jennifer Chiaverini-453 pages

General Pershing wants a group of American women to come to France to be switchboard operators.  This is an elite group who must have extensive training and experience and also be fluent in French and English.  These women are culled from ATT and without their expertise WWI may not have had the outcome it did.  Based on a true story these women were known as US Signal Corps in WWI.  Yet when the war was over they did not receive any recognition or benefits.  I appreciate Ms. Chiaverini's research and her writing.  Since my grandfather worked for ATT, I enjoyed getting to know a little more history about the switchboard girls.  I liked this book very much.

Resistance Women

Resistance Women by Jennifer Chiaverini 591 pages

This was about a women resistance fighting against Nazi Germany. Highlighting the ordinary people who risked their own lives to fight for injustice during world war two.

The book had a lot of characters, and was sad, but overall an ok read.

The Spymistress by Jennifer Chiaverini

The Spymistress by Jennifer Chiaverini - 355 pages

The Spymistress is the fictionalized account of a real Union spy during the Civil War.  Elizabeth "Lizzie" Van Lew and her family are staunch Unionists in Confederate Richmond during the War Between the States.  Every adult member of the family does what they can to help the Union cause, but none so more than Lizzie.  Initially, she begins her assistance with tending to the sick and wounded Union prisoners held within Richmond under the ruse of Christian charity.  Soon she begins to learn information from these men and passes it along.  Soon thereafter, Lizzie steps up her efforts by placing slaves/servants loyal to her in important positions, such as becoming Jefferson Davis' maid, and assisting escaping prisoners.  All the information gathered is sent northward.

This was a great book.  Besides the fictionalized parts of the story, the historical elements were worked in well.  We learn about Lizzie's real life and there are mentions of the various battles and civilian struggles (including rationing) and their effects on the populace of Richmond are fitted in where appropriate.