Refined by Fire

by Ruth VanDyke, Yvonne Doll

In the summer of 1976, the first women were admitted to the United States Military Academy, and the first women to complete a four-year ROTC program were commissioned as second lieutenants.

Lori, Maura, Anne, and Amelia’s journey into a male-dominated Army are chronicled in this exciting, page-turning adventure, as they face the challenges of being accepted into an army that is struggling to integrate women head on.

Refined by Fire shares the women’s uncertainty, frustration, and friendship, while accurately depicting the challenges both the academy cadets and active-duty lieutenants encountered in the United States Army of the mid-1970s. Refined by Fire, the first novel in the Guardians of Peace historical fiction series by Ruth VanDyke and Yvonne Doll, weaves a tale of young women surviving and thriving in sometimes difficult and completely uncharted circumstances.

Genres: Historical Fiction

314 pages, Paperback

First published August 11, 2014

Reviews

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a great story of women being integrated into the regular army in the 1970's. They were certainly ground breakers for women today. This book follows several paths for women, including studying at West Point , ROTC, and direct commission. I enjoyed reading this "history" of women in service, it certainly has changed over the years. There are more authors writing with this theme and I like them.

[Robin Reynolds · Rating 2 out of 5]

*I received this book for free from the publisher via NetGalley for review.*

It took me much longer to read this than it should have. It was very interesting from an historical standpoint. There is an incredible amount of detail regarding the schooling and training cadets go through. And the hazing, which was often worse for the women than for the men.

But there was no character development. I never felt any connection to any of the women or felt like I really got to know any of them. In fact, I often had trouble remembering who was who, because none of them had a distinct personality or stood out from the others. At times, when the women were talking to each other, or to someone else, it felt more like their conversation was for the purpose of info dump, rather than natural conversation.

And then this just irritated me – when one of the women is transferred to a new location, she asks the officer showing her around what a TA-50 is. He expresses shock, asking in an incredulous tone:

“You don’t know what TA-50 is, ma’am?”

Maura shook her head. “If I did, I can assure you I would not have humiliated myself by asking a question that you obviously think is stupid…”

They then begin talking about something else and he never tells her what a TA-50 is, and I had to go to the glossary at the end of the book to find out. (Individual military combat gear, in case you're interested.)

Unfortunately, the book just didn't really hold my interest, and while I did finish it, I was glad to reach the end.

Review originally posted on my blog.

[Elijah]

I received this book through the FirstReads program, and I was very excited about a book covering the transition period when women were being integrated into the U.S. Army. My interest only increased when I realized the authors had lived what they were now fictionalizing.

Unfortunately, it didn't live up to my expectations.

While the description of the struggles of entering the army -- for men and for women -- kept my interest and helped me to really think about what our armed servicepeople go through just to be able to perform their duties, that could not make up for the flat dialogue. In 90% or more of the dialogue, the characters felt less like real people and more like mouthpieces for the authors to tell us about what these women experienced. Most of the dialogue sounded like narrative instead of conversation, and after 100 pages of it I had to quit. I don't often quit books, but I had to quit this one. I hope the authors are able to improve this aspect of their writing, because that would make the series worth my time.

[Jennifer Bohnhoff · Rating 3 out of 5]

A novel that follows the lives of several women who are new officers in the Army and cadets as West Point during the 70's, when women were new in both places. This was not my favorite book: it is the first in a series, and as such really had not climax to the plot. The dialog is stilted, with a lot of "info dumping" and characters saying things that seems for the benefit and enlightenment of the reader instead of to the other characters. On the plus side, this is a good view into what it must have been like to be a vanguard in the introduction os females into what had been an exclusively male world during the 1970s. The characters are portrayed as plucky and insecure, determined and fearful as they ride the rollercoaster of expectations and disapproval, and I believe that is a fairly accurate and honest interpretation.

[Eddie Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Though this book is written as a fictional account about two women officers' trials and challenges in joining the "all boys club" of the military, Ruth VanDyke and Yvonne Doll provide apt non-fiction accounts of overcoming real adversity. Refined by Fire is thrilling, an accurate description of the timeframe and issues these female officers encountered, and well worth reading. It should be added to everyone's summer reading stack of books. Once you pick it up, you'll only want to put it down when the last page is turned.

[Naomi Kilpatrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Appropriate that I finished this book on Veterans Day. It is a good book as it gives voice to the women who broke the barriers of women in the military and especially the academies. I hesitate to be critical since I know one of the authors personally. Some readers will have trouble with the writing style and it may not win any literary awards, but is good to remind us of the importance of women who have gone before us and the obstacles they faced.

[Yvonne Doll · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book for a friend and she loved it! I recommend this historical fiction book (1976-1978) for all people who are interested in women entering the Army in the 1970s and what it was like at West Point for the first women cadets. Refined by Fire: Book One in the Guardians of Peace Series

[Bob Shadley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A superb story of strength and character of the women who pioneered the gender integration of our military. A smooth, easy read which allows the reader to walk in the boots of these great soldiers.

[Diane Dean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed

[Tara Chevrestt]

There is absolutely nothing wrong with this book or the way it's written. I'm setting this aside because frankly, there's nothing new in it for me. Having read Battle Dress the story of a girl attending West Point, nothing in this is new to me, at least not a quarter through. The hazing, the pleb poop, the yelling, the discrimination... and though the story is supposed to follow three different women in three diff types of basic, it only focuses on the West Point girl. Just moving on because I've already read Battle Dress and can still remember it. Thus, despite the different years in which the heroines are attending WP, it's simply not unique for me. Except for different backgrounds/home lives/goals in life, I could be reading the same thing over again.

[Tanja McD · Rating 1 out of 5]

I appreciate the history. It was a struggle to finish due to poor character development and dialogue.