The last thing that Tali and Octavia want to do with their summer is drive cross country with their crazy grandmother, but their parents aren’t exactly giving them a choice. Once the girls are in the car, their grandmother begins to tell stories about her life. The book is written alternating between the past, Mare’s story of her service as a WAC in World War II and the current road trip. While the modern tale held little interest for me, it was a minimal part of the book compared with Mare’s reminiscing. Furthermore, it provides modern readers with sometimes much needed observations and reflections about how things have changed since Mare’s day.
Mare’s life at home in Bay Slough isn’t easy. She works two jobs in order to help her family and dreams about finding a way out. Despite wanting to leave, Mare knows that she must stay and protect her younger sister Feen. When Feen is sent away to Philadelphia to stay with an Aunt, Mare sees her chance. Telling a little white lie about her age, Mare enlists in the army and serves, both in the US and in Europe for the duration of the war.
Learn More: Check out this information from Iowa Public Television or this history of the Women’s Army Corps.
Great for: Giving important and lesser known historical information in an interesting story. This would be great for anyone who enjoyed Flygirl or for use in tandem with Flygirl in a classroom setting.
Sign of the Times: In the parts of the story set during Mare’s youth, the term “colored” is used. When they go to England they are referred to as “blacks” which they find offensive, saying the English should know enough to say “Negro.” A man in England uses “nigra” to denigrate a black man.
Sex, Nudity, Dating – Grandma wears padded push-up bras and the girls once found panties with a padded rear that belonged to her. Mare and Josephine endure sexual abuse at the hands of their mother’s boyfriend. While the implications don’t point to rape, there is a mention of him “pinching” one of the girl’s privates. While in London girls see interracial dating. There is a lesbian character, we never see her act on this, but it is not brushed past as part of the plot. Tali is worried her grandmother is going to give them a “sex talk.” (She doesn’t). A husband cheats on his wife. The papers wrongly accuse black WACs of whoring around.
Profanity – “hell,” “Lord have mercy,” “Lord Jesus,” “nigra” is used as a slur, “piss,” “Krauts,” “Japs,” and “dagos” were all slurs for referring to the enemy during the war.
Death, Violence and Gore – Grandma once thought the UPS guy was a burglar and maced him. Mare’s father died when she was young. Mare’s mother smacked her. Octavia jokes that she’d kill her sister. Mare is punched and hit in an attempted sexual assault. She is forced to use a hatchet to protect herself, she gets injured herself in the process. Mama fires a shotgun although possibly only a warning shot. Mare’s aunt had a baby who died. As it takes place during a war, there is some war related violence: Mare knows that grenades can blow off your legs, hands, arms; Annie has a friend from home go MIA after being shot down; Nazi death camps and starving prisoners are mentioned. In the South, Ruby saw a girl beat bloody for using a “whites only” water fountain. President Roosevelt dies. In rough water, the ship rolls and girls are injured; one is quite bloody. White men provoke a fight with black men.
Drugs, Alcohol and Smoking – Grandma smokes and drinks bourbon. Mare’s mother and her boyfriends get drunk. Bus driver smokes a cigar. Mare and her friends drink in pubs. A cake soaked in whiskey is eaten. French children drink watered down wine. When Mare caught her son smoking, she made him smoke a whole pack as punishment. Tali orders a drink and doesn’t get carded. She is disciplined by her grandmother.
Frightening or Intense Things – Mama’s completely cold-hearted attitude towards her daughter will be tough for some to take. Octavia is allowed to drive although she doesn’t have a permit. In Post V-E France, some people are still suffering from malnutrition. Mare says that having a child was a mistake. This might really rub some people the wrong way. She is in no way advocating abortion, she’s just saying she shouldn’t have gotten married and had a child to begin with. She seems to love her son and grandchildren. It’s a topic rarely broached, but I think presenting having children as a choice rather than a necessity is something girls should hear and then process in relation to their own values.
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