Our Mothers' War
American Women at Home and at the Front During World War II
By Emily Yellin Thorndike Press - Large Print Edition (2004)
ISBN: 0-7862-6962-6
Genre: History
Reviewed by Simone Bonim - February 7, 2005
World War II changed the lives of countless people the world over, and many books have been written about the causes and consequences of these changes. In Our Mothers' War: American Women at Home and at the Front During World War II, Emily Yellin investigates how World War II affected and changed the lives of American women. A sweeping and fascinating account, Our Mothers' War looks at the various roles that women assumed in America from volunteering for military duty and taking over industrial jobs left vacant by the men who were called upon to serve in the military to becoming the heads of their households and becoming fund raisers for the war effort.
Yellin looks at how women from all walks of life and races, from sex workers to the elite, dealt with the challenges presented by the war. These included dealing with rationing, the fear of what was happening overseas, and how the war was forcing role reversals that gave women an opportunity to expand their horizons as never before - including becoming professional baseball players.
Throughout this book, Yellin has incorporated first hand accounts from the women who lived through this pivotal period. Their stories are recounted through diary and letter excerpts, public records, and are garnered from interviews. Yellin explores how women were incorporated into the military, how they adapted to military life, and the jobs they performed while in the various services, from pilots to nurses. She also examines the various duty stations that these women served in, and the dangers they faced when working in foreign lands - including the danger of being captured or killed by the enemy. Yellin looks at those nonmilitary women, such as Red Cross nurses and USO entertainers, who also served in dangerous locations, living in rough conditions and facing the same possibility of capture or death faced by those in the military.
Yellin provides unprecedented insights into the lives of the women who went to work in jobs previously considered the sphere of men - and how they dealt with hostile work environment, especially those faced by black women. Yellin addresses the questions raised about a girl's morality when she ventured forth alone into the 'world' and the draconian measures taken by the government to control any woman who was thought to have questionable morales - including being incarcerated and forcibly tested for VD for such offenses as going into a bar alone! Yellin also addressed the familiar pressures faced by American women, both those that sought employment outside the home and those that stayed within their traditional gender role.
Our Mothers' War is a fascinating book, and one that should be read by anyone seeking greater understanding of how World War II impacted American Women. It is also a book that provides an unmatched glimpse into the lives that our American mothers and grandmothers led during World War II - a glimpse that will enable modern readers to better understand the mind set and background of these trailblazers. Well researched, this popular history is entertaining and informative and it is perfect for the general reader, as well high school and university students studying American History and Women's History.
Related Reviews:
Nurses at War: Women on the Frontline 1939-45, by Penny Starns.
This is more than just an overview of British Nursing during World War II, it is, at its core, a book that describes the lives of the nurses who served on the front lines - the jobs they handled, the dangers they faced, and the role they played in helping to win the War. (Large Print)
Combat Nurse, by Eric Taylor.
During World War II, numerous women volunteered to serve as military nurses. Often their jobs placed them at grave risk of injury or capture by the enemy, and all too often they met their deaths while doing their duty. In Combat Nurse, Eric Taylor has woven a riveting book that describes what is it was like to be a British nurse, serving in combat areas, during World War II. (Large Print)
White Coolies, by Betty Jeffrey.
On February 12, 1942 the Vyner Brooke left Singapore carrying a full complement of refugees, including 65 Australian nursing sisters. Two days later, the ship was sunk by the Japanese. Fifty-three nurses reached Bangka Island. Of these, 21 were machined gunned to death after surrendering to the Japanese. The remaining 32 nurses were taken prisoners and spent the next three and half years struggling to survive. White Coolies is the story of their epic ordeal. (Audio)
