In the Company of Women

by Kate Christie

Fort Bliss—it’s anything but. Caroline “CJ” Jamieson gave up studying history and joined the Women’s Army Corps to live it instead. Along with her new WAC friends, she is ready to do her part to help boys like her brothers, fighting in the European and Pacific theaters, make it home sooner.


The Army, however, has derailed her plans. Instead of the California post she anticipated, west Texas cacti and an artillery training base are the unexpected sights on her new horizons. Not one to question orders, she’s not sure how her skills in airplane engine maintenance will be of use in this desolate region.


But when CJ meets fellow WAC enlistee Brady Buchanan, Fort Bliss might live up to its name.

Genres: Historical, Historical Fiction, Romance, LGBT, Queer, Lesbian, Lesbian Fiction

264 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 21, 2015

About the author

Kate Christie, author of In the Company of Women, Gay Pride & Prejudice, and the Girls of Summer series, was born and raised in Kalamazoo, MI. A graduate of Smith College, she lives near Seattle with her wife, their three daughters, and the family dogs.

To join her mailing list and receive email notifications of new releases, giveaways, and other news, visit https://katejchristie.com/mailing-list/.

Reviews

[Jenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I was taking my history classes in college and we covered WWII, we briefly looked at the WASPs, WACs, and WAVEs as a small, interesting footnote before moving on to the battles, political issues, ideology, and all the rest. We never looked at what life was really like for women in the 1940s. This book does just that. It's a slice of life, an examination of day-to-day living in the WAC and, while this is in many ways a romance novel, it's also historical fiction, and it takes that part seriously. There's a lot of exposition in this book, and it can sometimes come across as a little dry because of that fact, but that information provided crucial context; it made for a more realistic look at life on the ground from a woman's point-of-view, which was well worth the price of admission.

Let's start with the romance, though. The first part of the romance is essentially a coming out story. We've read those before, though probably not too many based in a women's-only unit of the military during a world war. There's a fair amount of confusion on the protagonist's part, which I think most of us can relate to, but it does start to become a little overwrought after a point. 'Am I? Is she? Are we? I'm not. Maybe I am. She's not. I am. Maybe she is? She's definitely not. I must avoid her.' That phase of the story seemed to drag on for far too long. On one level, I can certainly understand the confusion and the angst over not only realizing you might be gay, but then having to puzzle out whether the person you've fallen for might also be gay, all during a time where being gay was not only against regulations, but actually against the law. Still, after awhile of that, I just wanted the story to get on with it.

Be careful what you wish for. When the story did finally get on with it, it came from out of nowhere and made me squint at my e-reader in confusion before rereading the chapter to see if I'd missed something. Nope, I didn't. Still, at least the story moved on. Now, up until this point, there had mostly just been some adorable flirting followed by some self-recrimination. The relationship, once it actually became a relationship, was really quite lovely and ran the gamut. There was jealousy, insecurity, inadequacy, and all of the other little fears that always plague us, but there was also hope, passion, love, trust, patience and communication. In addition to all of that, there was fear of discovery, fear of being transferred to a different base, fear of what would happen to them when the war ended. It was a potent combination, and it lead to a wonderful place.

It's important to restate the fact that this is as much historical fiction as it is a romance novel, though. The novel spends just as much time following CJ as she works on airplane engines, talks to friends, worries about her brothers, worries whether or not her parents will accept her sexuality, etc. The romance isn't always the central story element, and that's as it should be. CJ is the central character, and the book is written entirely in her perspective (though it's third-person). She had a lot going on, and she was our window into what life was like for a woman in the armed forces during WWII.

I briefly mentioned CJ's friends above, and those friends and the other supporting characters in this novel were terrific. They didn't all get a great deal of depth due to the story's focus on other areas, but the friendships and camaraderie still felt real to me. At one point, we do get a look at CJ's family, and I thought that section was handled very well, too. One scene at a train station, in particular, nearly caused me to make an appointment with my ophthalmologist because I was sure my eyes had been damaged; there was waaaay too much water leaking out.

The biggest complaint I have about the novel is actually the last chapter. While it wasn't labeled 'Epilogue,' it was very much an epilogue, and it didn't particularly work for me. It felt...clunky. There was a big time jump, and it felt a bit like watching those slides at the end of a bad movie: "So and so went on to become this. Such and such broke up, and this person got married to that person." I do love a happy ending. In fact, I demand happy endings- Gimme! But this one left me a little flat. If I were to give the author any advice at all (which I'm completely unqualified to do), it would be to take another pass at that last chapter and try to personalize it more without making it feel like an ad for a Hallmark Channel movie.

I should probably make at least a brief mention about the style here, too. I found that, a great deal of the time, the story didn't have quite the same emotional punch as much of the lesfic and lesrom books I've read have had. I'm not sure why that is. Perhaps it's because the book spent some time trying to educate readers, so parts of it came across as instructional, rather than emotional; perhaps it's because CJ was an academic and a historian, and had some emotional distance as a result; perhaps it's because the novel had a lot of things to cover, so it couldn't dive too deeply into any one pond. I don't know, and this is not to say that the book was cold-- it wasn't. But it was...I guess I'd characterize it as occasionally 'observational,' rather than 'personal.' There were times where I felt like I was listening to CJ tell me old stories about her life, rather than standing in the room with her while she lived it. There was emotion, but it sometimes lacked immediacy.

Still, this was, on the whole, a positive experience, and I felt it was worth the money. If nothing else, it helped me realize how very lucky I am to be living in a time where I can live, love, and be myself without fear of immediate reprisals and consequences. We have a long way to go, still, but we've definitely made some progress. After having read this book, I now have a new list of women to thank for that.

4 stars. Really liked it.

[Tiff · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the Company of Women by Kate Christie is both a work of historical fiction as well as a romance. The romance is well developed and had great chemistry, what made the book so very good though is the historical accuracy that went along with it. How many times can you learn about such an important part of history all the while getting a great story too?

The book first introduces us to Caroline “CJ” Jamieson a private in the Women’s Army Corps in 1943. CJ a Michigan native was scheduled to be stationed in California, but right at the last minute she gets rerouted to Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas. CJ is an airplane engine mechanic that recently graduated from University of Michigan, but delayed graduate school to do her part for the war effort.

Upon arriving at Fort Bliss, CJ literally runs into Brady Buchanan. Brady is the public relations section of WAC and hosts the radio program as well as writing for the base newspaper. Their chance meeting sparks an instant friendship and these two become almost inseparable.

Brady and CJ have a wonderful chemistry and it builds nicely. I wanted them together as much as possible, but this book is also full of historical facts of the time, so you have a give and take between the romance and history lesson. I found myself really enjoying this. I thought the information was written in a way that was interesting and engaging. I felt as if I was right there at Fort Bliss. Christie obviously put a lot of research into this novel and to me it paid off in spades. If you are a history buff this is your book, you will not be disappointed. If you have never read Kate Christie's work I will tell you she is one hell of a writer, her books are always great!

4.25 out of 5 stars

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great insight into the lives of women who joined the American army during WW2. This story focuses on CJ who has joined the WAC and is sent to Fort Bliss where she is working in engine maintenance.

There were two elements to this story that I enjoyed the most, the historical side and the love story. Any story that shines a light on the lives of women and the part they have played in major historical events is always a pull for me. With this story we see the day to day workings of these women and their role on the base. The attitude of male and the public towards them and their refusal to follow what they "should" be doing. There's no doubt about it that women played a huge role in helping during the war from working in factories to driving ambulances in London during the bombings and in these army camps in America. Everything about this fascinates me and I want to thank Kate Christie for adding the list of related reading at the end of this book because I am definitely going to check them out.

The love story is beautifully told, CJ and Brady have an instant connection which gradually builds. They face a number of obstacles, coming out, peer disapproval, fear of being kicked out of the army and the fact that there's an ongoing war. This book was definitely worth my time both for the romance and the history.

[M · Rating 4 out of 5]

I seemed to have missed reviewing this book, given that I read it about 4 months ago. However, the fact that I am able to clearly recall the characters, setting and plot reflects how good a read this book is.

The history seemed spot on, describing both the context and setting very well. At no point did I feel that this was a story that had been dropped into context that didn't suit or jarred.

The romance was there and was handled adroitly and with some passion. Enjoyed both the MC's and the natural dialogue between them.

All in all, I loved it.

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

From friends's reviews, I sort of imagined that this book would often stop in its tracks in the middle of scenes and go into paragraphs and paragraphs of pure history lessons, which was quite stupid of me and made me think there was a fair chance I wasn't going to enjoy this.

It turns out I was dead wrong. The history is there, a lot of it, but bits by bits, spread throughout the story. Just as worldbuilding goes in well-written sci-fi/fantasy books, except with real facts, of course. And well researched facts, I might add. This book taught me a lot of how life was like for the WAC (especially queer ones) during World War II, but rather than reading articles or non-fiction books, all I read an amazing story about interesting characters and their own lives.

As a computer science student and not a big fan of reading non-fiction in general, I don't have contact with this kind of information very often, but also as a feminist and a queer girl myself, this was super interesting to me. Frankly, though, I got just a bit bored as I reached the halfway mark, and took a while to make my way through the rest of it. (To be fair, I'm currently without my glasses and reading without them is a literal pain, but still.) Nevertheless, this was so worth the read.

[Val · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book I've read by Kate Christie and it was excellent. The romance is of the slow burn variety and I loved CJ and Brady. I'm not typically into historical fiction but this foray into the WAC was fascinating. I had no idea about the role that women played in the war and it was cool that it provided a way for women to connect with one another be they lesbian or straight. All in all, I highly recommend this book. It will suck you in for sure.

[Romana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to love this. It has women in uniform in WWII. Female pilots. I enjoyed it, but the characters didn't really grab me the way I expected them to. It almost read as though I was supposed to be more interested in the history and the setting than the characters and romance, but then didn't go into as much detail as I would have wanted for a 'life and times' type book. I would have liked either-or, but for me it ended up as somewhere in between and disappointing as both. A real shame!

[Lady Avalon · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5. I'd have rounded it up to 4 if I didn't have the feeling that the ending was rushed.

[Kexx · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't know really - I enjoyed the chemistry between the main characters and the interplay with a host of other characters, but I could never shake off the feeling I was being taught something I already knew in a heavy handed "you need to know" way at the expense of entertainment. Hey, I know women did a brilliant job in war & the way lesbians and gay men were treated was outrageous in military and stories about it are important. But, Kate, please more story, less lecture. Thank you.

[Lexxi Kitty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nearly 400,000 American women served in uniform during the Second World War (which is more or less directly lifted from the afterward; I think that all I did differently was write out WWII – so, this from 99% mark of eBook). “During the war years . . . female independence and love between women were understood and undisturbed and even protected (Faderman, Odd Girls and Twilight Lovers: A History of Lesbian Life in Twentieth-Century America, 119). This book tells the fictional story of Caroline “CJ” Jamieson, of Michigan, and Brady Buchanan, of California while both are stationed at Fort Bliss Texas during the Second World War.

This is my second book that involves women in uniform during WWII, and my third book written by Kate Christie (by the way, I did notice that one of the characters names was Kate, but she was a side character with few lines). Tereska Torrès 1950 book Women's Barracks being the first ‘women in uniform during WWII’ book I had read. Considering that I rated Christie’s book 5 stars, and Women’s Barracks 3 stars, I do not need to go that far to note that I liked Christie’s book more than Torrès.

When the book opens, it is 1943 and CJ is on her way to Fort Bliss Texas after extensive training. She’s not so vaguely annoyed that she’s going to Texas instead of her original assignment, California. Almost immediately, though, her opinion begins to change. This change might be largely due to her bumping into another woman, also a (in?) the WAC, while zooming around the PX. Brady Buchanan gives CJ a tour of Fort Bliss. One thing leads to another, and . . . well, it’s 1943 and neither are exactly aware of their own lesbian natures (well, at least I know that from being in CJ’s head, I’m less sure of Brady), so naturally there’s some tension that develops. Instead of, say, instant coupling.

CJ works in the mechanical division, keeping planes up and running. Brady works in the Admin division. Two things work against them developing . . . happy attachments with each other. There is a kind of hierarchy/division in the military and the Admin people and the Mechanical people do not tend to hang out together. Plus, there are several regulations regarding fraternization, specifically on point for Brady and CJ is the regulation against same sex relationships. Despite this, they circle each other and flirt with the idea of ‘bending’ regulations and societal mores.

This is a strong well written book. Quite interesting book. It is quite nice to be able to read about lesbians back in time, historically. I have some relatively vague idea of the history, really vague, from about 1940 to 1960 from reading a nonfiction book on the topic, Boots of Leather, Slippers of Gold: The History of a Lesbian Community, and an even vaguer idea of the history 1970 to today. Prior to, say, 1930? No real clue. I say prior to 1930 because I think that nonfiction book I had read had a few details provided for 1930.

Hmm, I know I want to write more, or should write more, but I just finished reading it and probably should have waited, oh, three days or something before attempting to write. But, meh.

[Justina Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a definite treat, but more so since I am a history buff. Now that doesn't normally include military history for me, however, this book looks at women in the WACS and WAVES during the middle of World War 2, providing an up-front and personal sense of the life female military and supporting nonmilitary women lived through. I was thoroughly engaged by the extraordinary layers and levels that are presented. Splendidly eye-opening!

CJ, Caroline Jamieson, really captures my fancy. She postponed her graduate school work in history at the University of North Carolina to support the war effort by enlisting in the WACS. Right off the bat I realized she is unarguably exceptional and unusual for this time. She has two older brothers active in completely different war zones. She was raised on a farm in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and loved getting her hands dirty. Another characteristic that separates her from three quarters of the female population. Additionally, she is trained and assigned to work on airplane engines. Aw right! Most of the story is seen through her eyes and her evolution is impressively unraveled. I, along with her, went through all the changes, trials and tribulations, plus some scintillatingly intense personal growth. A tall and slender woman with a tremendous heart and the stuff that heroes, legends, and pioneers are made of. I loved CJ. Fantastically entrancing!

Brady Buchanan is an intellectually insightful and perceptively curious journalist stationed on the same base as CJ. However, she unpretentiously presents herself to all the good folks at Fort Bliss as a stunningly beautiful, charismatic woman, and extremely proficient writer. She is pursued by both men and women, but she pursues CJ. She hales from southern California and a rather wealthy family. She has brothers, too. Having graduated from Smith College, one of the elite seven sister colleges, she nevertheless seamlessly blends, mixes, and downplays her clearly intellectual expertise. Frankly, Brady is a force unto herself...a jewel, amazingly adept, feeling, and focused WAC. She easily charms everyone she meets without guile or intention. It feels as if she and CJ are somehow destined to be with each other. That is a very engrossing and uncommon story in and of itself. Mesmerizing and romantic!

The depth and breadth I found within this book completely boggled my mind without confusing me. I tip my hat to the author for this resplendent book which I totally recommend. It opened my eyes with an in-depth presentation of this historical period and enveloped my heart with an expansive love story that blew me away. I must say that everyone needs to be prepared for an eclectic collection of multiple and evolving story lines threading through the entire book in an astoundingly entrancing yet supportive way. Charming to the MAX!


NOTE: This book was provided by Bella Books for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting WAC information I never knew! Our high school history classes really need to work on what they teach us!

[elisabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very dense prose, a lot of incredibly unnecessary explaining, but cute queer girls and no Gay Suffering, which is unusual. The ending was way too Happy Ending for me though - would have probably been more impressed w/o the epilogue.

[Vervada · Rating 5 out of 5]

I did not expect to love this book as much as I did! Before starting it, I thought that there wouldn't be a lot of romance because of the time period the story is set in and the fact that CJ is serving in the army. But, surprisingly, the relationship between CJ and Brady was given quite a bit of attention, which made me incredibly happy since I loved seeing the two of them together. Also, the author managed to incorporate a lot of information about World War II and especially about the American women who served in the army during that time without overshadowing the protagonist's journey to discovering who she was. All in all, an awesome book that combines romance and history in an entirely enjoyable way.

[Miriam Janssen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book very much. It's actually a historical romance during WW II. It shows the role of women in the army. They were an exception as the army was a man's world. As a European I know something about life during WW II. But I knew nothing about life in that period in the US so I liked that point of view. Life was extremely difficult for gay people. For me it is so normal that gays can get married and raise a family that it was pretty shocking to read about how hard life as a couple was in those days. Fighting for equality was a war in a period of war.
The romance is very nicely woven into the story about women in the army.

[Elizabeth Tanner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read about WACs and women's new roles. Serving in silence for women in the WAC was difficult and risky. You risked who you were, your career, and love. I appreciated the storyline between these two women from different worlds who have patriotism in common. A little slow in areas, but a fascinating read about the different airships.

[Colleen Coughlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this novel. If historical accuracy, romance, wild women, and hearing stories which should have been told is your gig - this is your book!!

I will be looking for more of her books for sure.

[Charlie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I LOVED that I got a history lesson on American women serving stateside in WWII, and that it never felt like a history lesson. However, I feel like lesbians did not have it as easy as it seems in the book. I wish they had, and I hope they did, but I really doubt it. The romance itself was typical drama fluff, it was everything else about the book that brought it up in quality. It appears the author really did their research.

The book is almost a 4.5, only the rushed ending really kept it from that. I feel like the book needed another five chapters, maybe more. The epilogue was rushed in its own right as well.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good novel for women to read

This book should be on the reading list in every women's history reading list, it is that good. I liked the title and I liked the cover photo. Well done.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Historical fiction is so important to our genre as it gives us a sense of the struggles that LGBT have gone through to get where they are today. The story that Kate Christie provides through her characters of CJ and Brady in In the Company of Women is wonderfully told and so pertinent to understanding a turning point in our history. I started by reading the Author's Note & Reference List at the back of the book and it gave me a whole new perspective on why such a book should and now does exist. I think Christie truly captures the life of a very strong woman setting out to be more than societies expectations and while doing so show's the reader how women made a stand for themselves during WWII. Spinning in a wonderful cast of supporting characters, scenery, and events makes this a truly enjoyable reading experience.

[Mirtha Siblesz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow!

I've always been a big fan of this author's work. This story, is such a strong historical depiction of what life was like for young lesbian during that time period and the courage it took for them to maintain their love and relationships was an incredible o'mage for what life must have been like for young lesbians during that time period.

I'm from NM and her depiction of the White Sand National Monument and the whole area around it was just beautiful. Thank you.

The characters where believable and quite endearing I enjoyed their budding romance and ultimate final story along with their daughter .

Well done!!!