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Sisters in Arms
Kaia Alderson’s debut historical fiction novel reveals the untold, true story of the Six Triple Eight, the only all-Black battalion of the Women’s Army Corps, who made the dangerous voyage to Europe to ensure American servicemen received word from their loved ones during World War II.
Grace Steele and Eliza Jones may be from completely different backgrounds, but when it comes to the army, specifically the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC), they are both starting from the same level. Not only will they be among the first class of female officers the army has even seen, they are also the first Black women allowed to serve.
As these courageous women help to form the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, they are dealing with more than just army bureaucracy—everyone is determined to see this experiment fail. For two northern women, learning to navigate their way through the segregated army may be tougher than boot camp. Grace and Eliza know that there is no room for error; they must be more perfect than everyone else.
When they finally make it overseas, to England and then France, Grace and Eliza will at last be able to do their parts for the country they love, whatever the risk to themselves.
Based on the true story of the 6888th Postal Battalion (the Six Triple Eight), Sisters in Arms explores the untold story of what life was like for the only all-Black, female U.S. battalion to be deployed overseas during World War II.
Grace Steele and Eliza Jones may be from completely different backgrounds, but when it comes to the army, specifically the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC), they are both starting from the same level. Not only will they be among the first class of female officers the army has even seen, they are also the first Black women allowed to serve.
As these courageous women help to form the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, they are dealing with more than just army bureaucracy—everyone is determined to see this experiment fail. For two northern women, learning to navigate their way through the segregated army may be tougher than boot camp. Grace and Eliza know that there is no room for error; they must be more perfect than everyone else.
When they finally make it overseas, to England and then France, Grace and Eliza will at last be able to do their parts for the country they love, whatever the risk to themselves.
Based on the true story of the 6888th Postal Battalion (the Six Triple Eight), Sisters in Arms explores the untold story of what life was like for the only all-Black, female U.S. battalion to be deployed overseas during World War II.
374 pages, Hardcover
First published August 3, 2021
578 people are currently reading
17925 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,232 reviews
August 3, 2021
Had a chance to read this one for a cover quote, and loved it. Heart-warming but fierce, a novel brimming with camaraderie and fire, starring women you'd love to make your friends. Prickly, musical Grace and bubbly, privileged Eliza may not make the most natural allies, but it's fight or die when they're thrown together in the Army's first class of female officers--and the first Black women allowed to serve their country in World War II. Grace, Eliza, and their sisters-in-arms battle prejudice, army regulation, and enemies at home and abroad as they serve in the only all-Black female battalion deployed overseas, and it's a fight to make you stand up and cheer.
July 5, 2021
Overall: ☆☆ (2.4)
Entertainment:☆☆
Writing style: ☆☆
Plot: ☆☆
Character development:☆☆☆
Ending:☆☆☆
Cons: reads more like a YA novel. Not my writing style, for this era. Characters were bland. The plot was bland. Did not touch on the racial issues or the gender issues, as expected. The main issues were their personal issues of family problems. Was hoping for more insight as to the letters they came across. Only got the one instance with the Robert G letter. Was hoping for an emotional book that tugged at heartstrings, but instead it was mainly the poorly developed characters whining over and over again about their issues. Issues were repetitive and could easily been reduced to only a couple of pages, if they didnt keep talking about them. A couple grammatical issues (which can be overlooked if the book is great, but this was not). Ending was as boring as the book, but it did sum up all their "problems".
Pros: fast read
Entertainment:☆☆
Writing style: ☆☆
Plot: ☆☆
Character development:☆☆☆
Ending:☆☆☆
Cons: reads more like a YA novel. Not my writing style, for this era. Characters were bland. The plot was bland. Did not touch on the racial issues or the gender issues, as expected. The main issues were their personal issues of family problems. Was hoping for more insight as to the letters they came across. Only got the one instance with the Robert G letter. Was hoping for an emotional book that tugged at heartstrings, but instead it was mainly the poorly developed characters whining over and over again about their issues. Issues were repetitive and could easily been reduced to only a couple of pages, if they didnt keep talking about them. A couple grammatical issues (which can be overlooked if the book is great, but this was not). Ending was as boring as the book, but it did sum up all their "problems".
Pros: fast read
February 20, 2022
3.5 stars
Women's roles during World War 2 is a subject I have been interested in for quite a few years. This historical fiction read gave me the opportunity to learn a little bit about the first and only all-Black battalion of the Women's Army Corps., aka the Six Triple Eight. I enjoyed the book although I did think at times the story lacked a clear focus.
Writers have leeway when it comes to the historical fiction genre. This author drew inspiration from Black women serving in the military and used her creativity to come up with much of the storyline. While some characters were loosely based on real life figures, the two leads, Grace and Eliza are fictional characters.
The story starts in NYC in 1942. Grace Steele, a talented pianist, and Eliza Jones, a journalist, are both recruited to join the Army where they will be among the first class of female officers. I'd estimate about half of the story revolves around their military careers and the issues they face while the rest of the book is more about their dynamics with family members and each other, and their interests and dreams outside of the Army. There is even time for a romance or two. While I do like that the characters were well-rounded, I just don't think having so much going on in the story made it the most satisfying read. It's like it had a little bit of everything but I feel as a whole the book might have suffered because of it.
Perhaps not a perfect book, but I am thankful I read it. If anything it has me motivated to seek out more info about this battalion and the courageous women who served our country. Anytime a historical fiction novel can spark further interest in learning, that's an awesome thing.
Thank you to William Morrow for providing me with a copy! All thoughts expressed are my honest opinion.
Women's roles during World War 2 is a subject I have been interested in for quite a few years. This historical fiction read gave me the opportunity to learn a little bit about the first and only all-Black battalion of the Women's Army Corps., aka the Six Triple Eight. I enjoyed the book although I did think at times the story lacked a clear focus.
Writers have leeway when it comes to the historical fiction genre. This author drew inspiration from Black women serving in the military and used her creativity to come up with much of the storyline. While some characters were loosely based on real life figures, the two leads, Grace and Eliza are fictional characters.
The story starts in NYC in 1942. Grace Steele, a talented pianist, and Eliza Jones, a journalist, are both recruited to join the Army where they will be among the first class of female officers. I'd estimate about half of the story revolves around their military careers and the issues they face while the rest of the book is more about their dynamics with family members and each other, and their interests and dreams outside of the Army. There is even time for a romance or two. While I do like that the characters were well-rounded, I just don't think having so much going on in the story made it the most satisfying read. It's like it had a little bit of everything but I feel as a whole the book might have suffered because of it.
Perhaps not a perfect book, but I am thankful I read it. If anything it has me motivated to seek out more info about this battalion and the courageous women who served our country. Anytime a historical fiction novel can spark further interest in learning, that's an awesome thing.
Thank you to William Morrow for providing me with a copy! All thoughts expressed are my honest opinion.
August 8, 2021
Books should not be judged by their covers, I agree though I should have heeded my gut reaction when first seeing this cover art. I wanted to love this novel; the history is important and needs to be told, but this novel just didn’t pull it off. The most interesting parts were those that were based on actual events and people (there weren’t many of them), and the rest was just not good. The main characters (fictitious) are not very likable, the dialogue is poor, reading like something a teenager would write, and the use of modern phrases in historical fiction really turned me off. I struggled to get through this and only persevered because of my interest in and respect for the history.
August 12, 2021
This is not just another WWII story: this is a stirring and timely novel about the only all-Black battalion of the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps, a group of women who had to fight resolutely against countless obstacles in order to be permitted to serve their country. Grace and Eliza stole my heart with their spirit and their resilience, and the ups and downs of their tumultuous friendship made me laugh and cry. Poignant and powerful; an untold story that you simply must read.
July 17, 2021
I really wanted to like this book. I've rarely come across books about black women in the Army in WWII.
I felt like this story was more so about 2 women who joined the Army and they are just bickering and annoying each other throughout the whole book. That's it. There is nothing much about their service other than they went to basic - and they moved from that and served. But there wasn't much. Grace and Eliza didn't evolve as much as I expected them to. And even after YEARS of serving, they still stay bickering. I get it, you're not always going to like people you work or serve with, but come on. It was constant bickering and it was annoying. It felt like a pissing contest between them and they were both trying to figure each other out. There also wasn't really a plot to the story. I struggled towards the last 70 pages when I realized that the story wasn't going anywhere. Almost ended up in my DNF pile.
I felt like this story was more so about 2 women who joined the Army and they are just bickering and annoying each other throughout the whole book. That's it. There is nothing much about their service other than they went to basic - and they moved from that and served. But there wasn't much. Grace and Eliza didn't evolve as much as I expected them to. And even after YEARS of serving, they still stay bickering. I get it, you're not always going to like people you work or serve with, but come on. It was constant bickering and it was annoying. It felt like a pissing contest between them and they were both trying to figure each other out. There also wasn't really a plot to the story. I struggled towards the last 70 pages when I realized that the story wasn't going anywhere. Almost ended up in my DNF pile.
August 23, 2021
Grace, a budding pianist. Eliza, a budding journalist. Two Negro 20-something young ladies, both desperate to get out from under their parents rules and expectations finds the opportunity to join the Women’s Army Corps presents itself at just the right moment for them.
They start out bickering with each other from first meeting for no good reason that I could figure.
I never did get a feel for the personality of either Grace or Eliza. Both went from hot to cold on almost every page. They acted and spoke more like ten year old kids.
As per the author’s information some of the events she writes about are taken from known facts but the book is written in such a light-hearted tone I felt it did not do these women justice.
This is a book I should have liked but didn’t.
They start out bickering with each other from first meeting for no good reason that I could figure.
I never did get a feel for the personality of either Grace or Eliza. Both went from hot to cold on almost every page. They acted and spoke more like ten year old kids.
As per the author’s information some of the events she writes about are taken from known facts but the book is written in such a light-hearted tone I felt it did not do these women justice.
This is a book I should have liked but didn’t.
August 13, 2021
This one missed the mark for me. It’s a historical fiction novel about the first black women allowed to enlist in the all female Army Corps during WWII. This could have been such a great story, but the two women the story focused on didn’t have engaging stories, the plot just fell flat. Overall the writing was really lacking and felt juvenile. Also, these were supposed to be strong women- they were fainting or concerned about fainting every other chapter. They joined the Army during a war and one women nearly fainted when she saw a rat in an old warehouse. What sealed my rating is when one of the woman was flirting with a Nazi POW because he seemed so nice and was a musician like her. It wasn’t until another soldier explained what a bad person he was that she then gave him an impassioned speech about doing the right thing and sent him away. These are supposed to be smart women and they come off as silly, ridiculous, and distracted by handsome men. Not only did it miss the mark, this book actually makes me kind of angry.
April 21, 2021
I'm not even a WWII fan, but I loved this book. The history that I didn't know, married to characters that you come to love love, it's the best. Thank you so much for bringing a fresh entry into an area that is so over done.
July 20, 2021
I read a LOT of WWII fiction. I love to learn through historical fiction and I am always interested in learning more about how people survived such a hard period. This novel took on a subject I hadn’t read about before: the first all-female, all black battalion.
Now I didn’t notice the word “postal” in the description. I was expecting more action like The Alice Network, The Huntress, or The Rose Code. This is not that. This is more about the relationships amongst the (mostly fictionalized) relationships between the women in the battalion.
This is a debut novel. So I think some grace needs to be given for that, and I thought about bumping my rating up to 4 stars for that reason, but in my mind that is being too gracious.
The language in the book is modern. There are one or two words like “swell” that show up, but really this book could have taken place in modern times for all the swearing and just the patterns of speech.
One of my concerns, given how many books seem to shove politics needlessly into them lately, was that a book tackling this subject matter would be looking at this through a modern feminist and racial viewpoint. Overall the author did a decent job keeping it to the times. Even though there were a couple points where I was questioning the protagonists’ interpretation of things,(like nobody looking at them at the train station) given the time period it was well within reason.
The biggest problem with this book for me was Grace and Eliza weren’t likeable. And not in the “unlikeable but you can relate to them” kind of way. The “so judgy and making stupid mistakes you want to wring their necks” sort of way. Most of the stories of WWII I’ve heard involve people who had to grow up way before their time. These two somehow missed that memo.
I wish more time was spent on their time in Europe. I think it could have been fascinating reading about the detective work it took them to figure out who the letters went to. This is, after all, why I imagine most people are picking up this book. We WANT to learn what these women faced and the unique experience of being an all-female, all black battalion. Sure it wasn’t the action of the frontlines, or leading secret spy missions, but it was still important work for morale.
I want to thank the author for bringing this piece of history to my attention. I look forward to learning more about these women through other books.
Now I didn’t notice the word “postal” in the description. I was expecting more action like The Alice Network, The Huntress, or The Rose Code. This is not that. This is more about the relationships amongst the (mostly fictionalized) relationships between the women in the battalion.
This is a debut novel. So I think some grace needs to be given for that, and I thought about bumping my rating up to 4 stars for that reason, but in my mind that is being too gracious.
The language in the book is modern. There are one or two words like “swell” that show up, but really this book could have taken place in modern times for all the swearing and just the patterns of speech.
One of my concerns, given how many books seem to shove politics needlessly into them lately, was that a book tackling this subject matter would be looking at this through a modern feminist and racial viewpoint. Overall the author did a decent job keeping it to the times. Even though there were a couple points where I was questioning the protagonists’ interpretation of things,(like nobody looking at them at the train station) given the time period it was well within reason.
The biggest problem with this book for me was Grace and Eliza weren’t likeable. And not in the “unlikeable but you can relate to them” kind of way. The “so judgy and making stupid mistakes you want to wring their necks” sort of way. Most of the stories of WWII I’ve heard involve people who had to grow up way before their time. These two somehow missed that memo.
I wish more time was spent on their time in Europe. I think it could have been fascinating reading about the detective work it took them to figure out who the letters went to. This is, after all, why I imagine most people are picking up this book. We WANT to learn what these women faced and the unique experience of being an all-female, all black battalion. Sure it wasn’t the action of the frontlines, or leading secret spy missions, but it was still important work for morale.
I want to thank the author for bringing this piece of history to my attention. I look forward to learning more about these women through other books.
July 17, 2021
While the context of this story was one of great interest, I found our heroine, Grace, and the story of friendship completely unbearable. This novel suffered from character inconsistency and lack of growth or meaningful development in the characters. While the book is called Sisters in Arms there is nothing sisterly about the way Grace treats Eliza throughout the book. If Eliza were my friend in real life, I'd tell her that Grace is certainly not her sister and is not fit to be a friend either. I was very disappointed with both the story at large and the main characters.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 23, 2022
4.5/5
Would've been even stronger without the romance.
Sisters in Arms follows two Black women as they are recruited and serve in the newly made Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC). Eliza and Grace come from different backgrounds but as they're thrown in together, they forge a friendship that will have to stand strong against a war.
Okay I avoid WWII historical fiction, but this is an aspect of the war I had never heard of. I really hope we see more stories like this one.
Eliza is a proper lady who has always wanted to be a journalist, but her father has only let her cover the society pages for his newspaper. Joining the WAAC gives Eliza an opportunity to take control of her life and make decisions for herself. Grace used to want to be a professional pianist. She was on track until her brother, Tony, died in the Philippines. Now, Grace doesn't know where to go with her life and after blowing a Julliard audition, she decides she needs a fresh start and applying to the WAAC might be her ticket out.
This follows Eliza and Grace through basic training, and active duty deployment. I really loved watching these two women continue to grow and become great friends. I really enjoyed seeing them grow close. I just loved these two.
Really the only down point of this was the romances were unnecessary. This book was so good and would've been even stronger if there wasn't any focus given to the developing romances. It took away from seeing Eliza and Grace grow and the focus on their friendship, which was my favorite part.
Rep: Black American cishet female MCs, Black American cishet male side character with PTSD, various Black American side characters, various white side characters.
CWs: War, racism, death, hate crime, bullying, cursing, gore, misogyny (especially misogynoir), physical abuse, racial slurs, sexual assault, mental illness (PTSD), panic attacks, rape, sexism, violence, blood, medical content, grief, injury detail. Moderate: car accident, medical trauma.
Would've been even stronger without the romance.
Sisters in Arms follows two Black women as they are recruited and serve in the newly made Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC). Eliza and Grace come from different backgrounds but as they're thrown in together, they forge a friendship that will have to stand strong against a war.
Okay I avoid WWII historical fiction, but this is an aspect of the war I had never heard of. I really hope we see more stories like this one.
Eliza is a proper lady who has always wanted to be a journalist, but her father has only let her cover the society pages for his newspaper. Joining the WAAC gives Eliza an opportunity to take control of her life and make decisions for herself. Grace used to want to be a professional pianist. She was on track until her brother, Tony, died in the Philippines. Now, Grace doesn't know where to go with her life and after blowing a Julliard audition, she decides she needs a fresh start and applying to the WAAC might be her ticket out.
This follows Eliza and Grace through basic training, and active duty deployment. I really loved watching these two women continue to grow and become great friends. I really enjoyed seeing them grow close. I just loved these two.
Really the only down point of this was the romances were unnecessary. This book was so good and would've been even stronger if there wasn't any focus given to the developing romances. It took away from seeing Eliza and Grace grow and the focus on their friendship, which was my favorite part.
Rep: Black American cishet female MCs, Black American cishet male side character with PTSD, various Black American side characters, various white side characters.
CWs: War, racism, death, hate crime, bullying, cursing, gore, misogyny (especially misogynoir), physical abuse, racial slurs, sexual assault, mental illness (PTSD), panic attacks, rape, sexism, violence, blood, medical content, grief, injury detail. Moderate: car accident, medical trauma.
Read
April 5, 2021A thrilling anthem to the courageous sisterhood of the Six Triple Eight as they faced down racism at home and war abroad. SISTERS IN ARMS is a fresh look at the bold women who served America during World War II. A powerful debut!
October 18, 2021
An excellent book full of action and pain. The basis is the struggles of African-American women in WWII.
The historical facts are precise. I really enjoyed every minute invite that I read it.
The historical facts are precise. I really enjoyed every minute invite that I read it.
December 21, 2021
I was craving good historical fiction and this book definitely hit the spot! I love World War II novels but there are not a lot of black WWII novels so I was so excited to read it! I really enjoyed reading Sisters In Arms. The beginning was a bit slow but when it picked up about 40/50 pages in, I was hooked! I was so invested in getting to know the characters, knowing what decisions they would make and how it would affect their lives and how they handled serving in the military for a country that did not respect them or believe they were capable of serving their country. These women were passionate and determined to prove their superiors, the government, and even their families wrong and that black women could indeed serve.
August 20, 2021
Overall enjoyable and interesting read. I had never heard of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion and really want to learn more now. I enjoyed learning about the formation of the 6888th and how the mail was directed to soldiers. I always wondered how the mail was delivered to soldiers during the war, when they were often being moved from place to place and family didn't know where their loved ones were to address the mail.
I felt that somethings were wrapped up a little to easily and conveniently at the end, but that might just be me personally.
Overall I recommend this book. Especially if someone is interested in lesser known histories of World War II and the service given by women of color.
I felt that somethings were wrapped up a little to easily and conveniently at the end, but that might just be me personally.
Overall I recommend this book. Especially if someone is interested in lesser known histories of World War II and the service given by women of color.
July 13, 2021
3.5 stars! I did enjoy this book a lot, and it was a super fast read. The reason the rating isn't very high is because there were a lot of aspects which I felt like could've been improved, even though I liked the book as a whole.
One thing I appreciated was Kaia Alderson's attention to detail for historical accuracy. I noticed that she made an effort to not get too bogged down in the minor details of the protagonists’ lives, trying to include aspects which all Black WAC officers could relate to.
I thought this was especially effective in her portrayal of racism that the women experienced on a daily basis. It felt very real and raw, from the severe end of the spectrum (racial violence, internalized racism in black men, racial slurs) to micro-aggressions and more minor offenses (two white women fall for a myth about Black people having tails).
When it came to characters, I enjoyed the character development of both Eliza and Grace (the protagonists). It felt like they both really grew throughout the novel and changed for the better.
At the same time though, the writing style felt a bit simplistic, especially at the beginning. It seemed more like YA than adult fiction. While reading the first couple of chapters, there were some moments were I'd be taken out of the story because I'd notice some unrealistic dialogue or clunky descriptions.
Plus, the story as a whole didn’t feel gritty enough. It was almost too happy to be a WWII retelling. For example, Tony was barely mentioned. Wouldn’t a female soldier whose brother died in combat be constantly wondering if she’d die the same way? What about survivor’s guilt? Or resentment towards him for dying? Grace didn't experience any of those emotions except for in one or two moments. She seemed to bounce back from his death immediately. Even though Eliza’s trauma was delved into more, it still felt a bit too surface level.
Also, when it came to romance in this book, it was pretty bland. Noah and Jonathan were carbon copies of each other, except that their professions were slightly different. They were super underdeveloped and only existed as romantic partners to Eliza and Grace. I wish that they'd either been fleshed out more or just been cut from the story. Why couldn't Eliza and Grace just be in love with each other? It would've been perfect enemies to lovers.
Lastly, something that really annoyed me was that
One thing I appreciated was Kaia Alderson's attention to detail for historical accuracy. I noticed that she made an effort to not get too bogged down in the minor details of the protagonists’ lives, trying to include aspects which all Black WAC officers could relate to.
I thought this was especially effective in her portrayal of racism that the women experienced on a daily basis. It felt very real and raw, from the severe end of the spectrum (racial violence, internalized racism in black men, racial slurs) to micro-aggressions and more minor offenses (two white women fall for a myth about Black people having tails).
When it came to characters, I enjoyed the character development of both Eliza and Grace (the protagonists). It felt like they both really grew throughout the novel and changed for the better.
At the same time though, the writing style felt a bit simplistic, especially at the beginning. It seemed more like YA than adult fiction. While reading the first couple of chapters, there were some moments were I'd be taken out of the story because I'd notice some unrealistic dialogue or clunky descriptions.
Plus, the story as a whole didn’t feel gritty enough. It was almost too happy to be a WWII retelling. For example, Tony was barely mentioned. Wouldn’t a female soldier whose brother died in combat be constantly wondering if she’d die the same way? What about survivor’s guilt? Or resentment towards him for dying? Grace didn't experience any of those emotions except for in one or two moments. She seemed to bounce back from his death immediately. Even though Eliza’s trauma was delved into more, it still felt a bit too surface level.
Also, when it came to romance in this book, it was pretty bland. Noah and Jonathan were carbon copies of each other, except that their professions were slightly different. They were super underdeveloped and only existed as romantic partners to Eliza and Grace. I wish that they'd either been fleshed out more or just been cut from the story. Why couldn't Eliza and Grace just be in love with each other? It would've been perfect enemies to lovers.
Lastly, something that really annoyed me was that
September 16, 2021
The concept of Black women joining the US army in the 1950s was a concept I never knew I needed! And it’s based on a true story!!! How was this left out of the history books? Maybe they quickly covered it that one time I dozed off in class?!
This story follows Eliza and Grace - 2 young Black women eager to flee their overbearing families, and at an empasse in their professional lives - join the first Black battalion of the Women’s Army Corps, Six Triple Eight, overseas during WWII.
I liked the main characters Eliza, fearless, with gumption, and Grace, level headed and determined. These women were bold, courageous and brave. They endured ongoing disrespect, physical assault, and discrimination and were expected to “protect and serve” without even being trained for war or having access to weapons. Their relationship blossomed into a sisterhood after their initial preconceived misjudgments.
I loved how the story made me want to learn more, but I would’ve liked more character development from both characters. I also wanted more details of their time serving, the connections made with the other women, and how they rose in rank. An additional 50 pages would’ve been welcome to add more depth to the story.
I’m not a big fan of historical fiction and I rarely ever read about stories surrounding a war, but the mixture of these genres here was phenomenal! And I appreciated a different spin on a story set against the war backdrop. I would LOVE to see this play out on the big screen or as a Netflix series. It would be perfect. I could see Megan Good in one of the roles!
After I read this story, I felt a little deprived, ignorant, and hungry to know more Black history. I’d never even thought about or considered the history of Black women serving in the military. But, the book sparked a desire for me to enrich myself in more of these stories.
I called my dad and we had an interesting conversation about this and other pivotal strides and I made a point to share this with my daughter, too. This significant history may not be taught in schools but we will be steadfast in educating ourselves.
I also have to note that I was impressed with Shayna Small’s narration in this one.
This story follows Eliza and Grace - 2 young Black women eager to flee their overbearing families, and at an empasse in their professional lives - join the first Black battalion of the Women’s Army Corps, Six Triple Eight, overseas during WWII.
I liked the main characters Eliza, fearless, with gumption, and Grace, level headed and determined. These women were bold, courageous and brave. They endured ongoing disrespect, physical assault, and discrimination and were expected to “protect and serve” without even being trained for war or having access to weapons. Their relationship blossomed into a sisterhood after their initial preconceived misjudgments.
I loved how the story made me want to learn more, but I would’ve liked more character development from both characters. I also wanted more details of their time serving, the connections made with the other women, and how they rose in rank. An additional 50 pages would’ve been welcome to add more depth to the story.
I’m not a big fan of historical fiction and I rarely ever read about stories surrounding a war, but the mixture of these genres here was phenomenal! And I appreciated a different spin on a story set against the war backdrop. I would LOVE to see this play out on the big screen or as a Netflix series. It would be perfect. I could see Megan Good in one of the roles!
After I read this story, I felt a little deprived, ignorant, and hungry to know more Black history. I’d never even thought about or considered the history of Black women serving in the military. But, the book sparked a desire for me to enrich myself in more of these stories.
I called my dad and we had an interesting conversation about this and other pivotal strides and I made a point to share this with my daughter, too. This significant history may not be taught in schools but we will be steadfast in educating ourselves.
I also have to note that I was impressed with Shayna Small’s narration in this one.
September 2, 2021
I realized after I read this, reading the intensely mixed reviews here, the reason I liked this novel so much is it reads like a YA novel. That being said, A YA NOVEL SET IN WWII BASED ON REAL PEOPLE AND EVENTS?! Why don't more people *love* this? It's fantastic. This book came out only a month ago, but I wish it was read more widely by people who enjoy YA because I think it's a nice introduction to historical fiction for those of us who don't normally drink that cup of tea.
I don't read much history, and I haven't read anything about people serving overseas or soldiers in WWII--most WWII-era things I've read have been about concentration camps. I do, however read a *lot* of YA novels, so maybe this is why I like this format of a book so much.
The language and style of the book felt anachronistic at times, but I think I enjoyed reading what I was used to a lot more than if the narration and/or dialog were written in the style of the 1940s. This diction made the characters more tangible in my mind, whereas if the author adhered to words of the times I feel like it would have created unnecessary distance between myself and these characters (might leave me thinking "this would never happen/is a thing of the past").
I felt like I was learning something about history, really getting an understanding of events and situations taking place in WWII that I was never remotely aware of while learning about the war in school, while also reading an enjoyable work of fiction.
I don't read much history, and I haven't read anything about people serving overseas or soldiers in WWII--most WWII-era things I've read have been about concentration camps. I do, however read a *lot* of YA novels, so maybe this is why I like this format of a book so much.
The language and style of the book felt anachronistic at times, but I think I enjoyed reading what I was used to a lot more than if the narration and/or dialog were written in the style of the 1940s. This diction made the characters more tangible in my mind, whereas if the author adhered to words of the times I feel like it would have created unnecessary distance between myself and these characters (might leave me thinking "this would never happen/is a thing of the past").
I felt like I was learning something about history, really getting an understanding of events and situations taking place in WWII that I was never remotely aware of while learning about the war in school, while also reading an enjoyable work of fiction.
July 7, 2021
First thing first: the history was fascinating. I knew nothing about the 6888th nor about people like Dr. Bethune or Lt. Colonel Charity Jones, and I thoroughly enjoyed those aspects. I also really appreciated how the women were so determined to be better than any opinion held of them.
The bad: the writing was terrible. Very, very amateur which is fine if you’re just writing to write - another thing if it’s a published book. It was all “tell” and no “show”. Things would be brought up out of nowhere and forgotten about just as fast. There were just too many issues with the writing for me to even begin to delve into them all.
The bad: the writing was terrible. Very, very amateur which is fine if you’re just writing to write - another thing if it’s a published book. It was all “tell” and no “show”. Things would be brought up out of nowhere and forgotten about just as fast. There were just too many issues with the writing for me to even begin to delve into them all.
July 9, 2021
I think this book needed to cover more of the actual war and also needed character development. It felt forced. The author had to explain every choice the characters made, which made them feel even more flat to me. I also desperately wanted to know more about the military experience of the mail job, it almost felt like an afterthought in some ways. With forced drama when the real drama could have been the actual overseas experience itself! Otherwise this is an interesting story, and I learned about a new group I was previously unaware of. I’ll be doing my own reading on the 6888. Still glad I read this book!
July 27, 2021
I grabbed Sisters In Arms because of the true events it is based on. This novel follows the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion which is the only all black female U.S. Battalion to be deployed overseas during WW2. Sounds really good, right? Unfortunately, the synopsis was more interesting than the actual execution. I couldn’t get past the writing and skimmed the first half of the book. Sisters in Arms had a lot of potential, but overall I was so disappointed in the way this book was done.
Thanks to @bibliolifestyle for the finished copy of this book
Thanks to @bibliolifestyle for the finished copy of this book
August 1, 2021
3.5 stars
Lemme start this review off by saying I knew nothing about the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, but I want to know everything about them now. Alderson wrote a compelling and interesting story, Eliza and Grace were headstrong and loveable main characters. Her writing was easy to understand and I found myself enjoying the book most of the time. I do wish there was more focus on the historical backdrop of everything, I'd love to have learned more about the nitty-gritty, day to day work of the Battalion. The plot was also a little inconsistent in places, but nothing too jarring that I felt thrown from the story. Overall, a solid historical fiction that covers a part of history that is too often glossed over.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for kindly providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. #SistersInArms#NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Lemme start this review off by saying I knew nothing about the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, but I want to know everything about them now. Alderson wrote a compelling and interesting story, Eliza and Grace were headstrong and loveable main characters. Her writing was easy to understand and I found myself enjoying the book most of the time. I do wish there was more focus on the historical backdrop of everything, I'd love to have learned more about the nitty-gritty, day to day work of the Battalion. The plot was also a little inconsistent in places, but nothing too jarring that I felt thrown from the story. Overall, a solid historical fiction that covers a part of history that is too often glossed over.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for kindly providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. #SistersInArms#NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
February 16, 2022
If the Hallmark Channel made a movie about racism, misogyny and war.
This was my ninth book since joining Book of the Month (BotM), my selection for July 2021.
Why did this feel like a Hallmark movie to me? It was a little too feel-good for the subject matter. And it didn't help that the story never came to life for me. From beginning to end I was aware that I was reading about characters in a book, which is saying something since the book was inspired by real events. Can't say I wasn't warned, here's the moment on pg. 30 that let me know exactly what I was in for: "You know what? I think we'll both go in there and wow those women's army people. And we'll both get in. They'll send us off to training together and we'll become the best of friends." Duly noted, yet I persisted.
And persistence was needed because this was a slow moving story. If someone had dared to tell me that a Postal Battalion wasn't interesting...they'd have been absolutely right. The story wasn't helped by many moments that made me roll my eyes. Someone actually running to catch a train, a woman literally clutching her pearls in shock, an "I'm Spartacus" moment of solidarity, women fainting (at least three times), misunderstandings that reignite discord only to be solved to avoid disastrous consequences and mend the relationship, an airing of a grievance to finally resolve conflict in the midst of a crisis, and the cherry atop this corny sundae - the title drop, "We are sisters...Sisters in arms." (pg. 281) - followed by the collective groan of me and all the ancestors on whose shoulders I stand.
All this being said, it was a two star book for me most of the journey. I do tend to rate boring higher than infuriating. Then I got to the ending and was immediately annoyed, hence my final rating.
Any positives? To sneak in a Crazy Ex-Girlfriend reference, "When was the last time you were truly happy?" I got happy whenever someone in the book got to eat real butter. Also, there was a Behind the Book section at the end that shared the real events that inspired and were included in the story, as well as the names of actual people some characters were based on. Best three pages of the book.
Would I recommend it? No.
Will I read anything else by the author? No.
BotM ongoing impression(s): You have to be careful of the book descriptions. I've now been misled multiple times into thinking things that pique my interest will be focal to stories only to find they are vastly under-represented.
As always, I will end with the BotM review I posted: "Interesting premise. Boring read. Ridiculous ending."
This was my ninth book since joining Book of the Month (BotM), my selection for July 2021.
Why did this feel like a Hallmark movie to me? It was a little too feel-good for the subject matter. And it didn't help that the story never came to life for me. From beginning to end I was aware that I was reading about characters in a book, which is saying something since the book was inspired by real events. Can't say I wasn't warned, here's the moment on pg. 30 that let me know exactly what I was in for: "You know what? I think we'll both go in there and wow those women's army people. And we'll both get in. They'll send us off to training together and we'll become the best of friends." Duly noted, yet I persisted.
And persistence was needed because this was a slow moving story. If someone had dared to tell me that a Postal Battalion wasn't interesting...they'd have been absolutely right. The story wasn't helped by many moments that made me roll my eyes. Someone actually running to catch a train, a woman literally clutching her pearls in shock, an "I'm Spartacus" moment of solidarity, women fainting (at least three times), misunderstandings that reignite discord only to be solved to avoid disastrous consequences and mend the relationship, an airing of a grievance to finally resolve conflict in the midst of a crisis, and the cherry atop this corny sundae - the title drop, "We are sisters...Sisters in arms." (pg. 281) - followed by the collective groan of me and all the ancestors on whose shoulders I stand.
All this being said, it was a two star book for me most of the journey. I do tend to rate boring higher than infuriating. Then I got to the ending and was immediately annoyed, hence my final rating.
Any positives? To sneak in a Crazy Ex-Girlfriend reference, "When was the last time you were truly happy?" I got happy whenever someone in the book got to eat real butter. Also, there was a Behind the Book section at the end that shared the real events that inspired and were included in the story, as well as the names of actual people some characters were based on. Best three pages of the book.
Would I recommend it? No.
Will I read anything else by the author? No.
BotM ongoing impression(s): You have to be careful of the book descriptions. I've now been misled multiple times into thinking things that pique my interest will be focal to stories only to find they are vastly under-represented.
As always, I will end with the BotM review I posted: "Interesting premise. Boring read. Ridiculous ending."
September 4, 2021
DNF @ 36%, but kept skimming. Bummed because I really enjoy WWII historical fiction and was really looking forward to this.
I stopped multiple times to reread the description of this book because I think that’s where the biggest problem lies.
“For two northern women, learning to navigate their way through the segregated army may be tougher than boot camp.”
“Based on the true story of the 6888th Postal Battalion (the Six Triple Eight), Sisters in Arms explores the untold story of what life was like for the only all-Black, female U.S. battalion to be deployed overseas during World War II.”
This reads more like a YA interpersonal relationship drama with a WWII backdrop. Most of the “conflict” comes from Eliza’s dad and Grace’s mom being controlling parents trying to force their daughters into predetermined paths.
Then it’s heavy on Grace being incredibly immature and judgmental of everyone she meets, but especially of Eliza.
It took more than 20% of the book to even get to OCS.
At 36% it’s just entering week 2 of OCS.
50% Grace acknowledges she’s been judgy and she and Eliza decide to be real friends.
They don’t make it to England until 65% of the way through.
Despite the constant inner monologue to stop, Grace just keeps on sniping and judging. It’s exhausting to listen to and I finally gave up.
There’s nothing wrong with the premise being YA & more focus on the minutiae of the characters’ every day lives. It’s just not compelling the way it’s presented, not what I thought I was getting, and not what I was interested in reading.
Narration:
I loved Shayna Small’s narration. She had a young voice that fit the main characters well while also giving older and male characters a distinct sound. I hope to listen to more of her work.
I stopped multiple times to reread the description of this book because I think that’s where the biggest problem lies.
“For two northern women, learning to navigate their way through the segregated army may be tougher than boot camp.”
“Based on the true story of the 6888th Postal Battalion (the Six Triple Eight), Sisters in Arms explores the untold story of what life was like for the only all-Black, female U.S. battalion to be deployed overseas during World War II.”
This reads more like a YA interpersonal relationship drama with a WWII backdrop. Most of the “conflict” comes from Eliza’s dad and Grace’s mom being controlling parents trying to force their daughters into predetermined paths.
Then it’s heavy on Grace being incredibly immature and judgmental of everyone she meets, but especially of Eliza.
It took more than 20% of the book to even get to OCS.
At 36% it’s just entering week 2 of OCS.
50% Grace acknowledges she’s been judgy and she and Eliza decide to be real friends.
They don’t make it to England until 65% of the way through.
Despite the constant inner monologue to stop, Grace just keeps on sniping and judging. It’s exhausting to listen to and I finally gave up.
There’s nothing wrong with the premise being YA & more focus on the minutiae of the characters’ every day lives. It’s just not compelling the way it’s presented, not what I thought I was getting, and not what I was interested in reading.
Narration:
I loved Shayna Small’s narration. She had a young voice that fit the main characters well while also giving older and male characters a distinct sound. I hope to listen to more of her work.
February 6, 2023
I was hoping this one would have been a little more compelling. This is a fictional story about 2 women loosely based on the only black female battalion of WW II. The era that this was I was expecting it to focus on the inequality and hardship of that time for these brave women. It was a very light and fluffy read.
March 6, 2025
3.5 stars. This story follows the Six Triple Eight, the only all-Black battalion of the Women’s Army Corps who served during WWII in Europe to ensure American servicemen received mail and word from their loved ones.
I expected this book to be following the women and showcasing the height of WWII and their service. But it really starts well before their time in Europe and I was pleasantly surprised with how much more we got to follow their lives, Grace and Eliza being the characters we follow.
Grace and Eliza are from such opposite backgrounds and kind of rub one another wrongly from the start of having to share a train cabin together after joining WAAC (Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps). They are among the first class of female officers the army has ever seen, as well as the first Black women to be allowed to serve. Grace and Eliza are sometimes friends, sometimes annoyed with one another, and I feel like we got to see more of that relationship than anything. We follow them as they decide to join the army, leaving behind their families and career dreams (Grace was a concert pianist), we follow the Northern women’s time at a segregated army boot camp, where they get stationed after, and eventually a couple years later (and over halfway into the book) when they do get deployed overseas to Europe to form the 6888th Postal Battalion.
I think this book was good, but not great. I believe this was the author’s debut, so I’d be interested to pick up more from them in the future. I did like a lot of elements of the history and seeing Grace and Eliza throughout the years. I know a lot of books do follow the Six Triple Eight, this was just the first one I picked up.
I expected this book to be following the women and showcasing the height of WWII and their service. But it really starts well before their time in Europe and I was pleasantly surprised with how much more we got to follow their lives, Grace and Eliza being the characters we follow.
Grace and Eliza are from such opposite backgrounds and kind of rub one another wrongly from the start of having to share a train cabin together after joining WAAC (Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps). They are among the first class of female officers the army has ever seen, as well as the first Black women to be allowed to serve. Grace and Eliza are sometimes friends, sometimes annoyed with one another, and I feel like we got to see more of that relationship than anything. We follow them as they decide to join the army, leaving behind their families and career dreams (Grace was a concert pianist), we follow the Northern women’s time at a segregated army boot camp, where they get stationed after, and eventually a couple years later (and over halfway into the book) when they do get deployed overseas to Europe to form the 6888th Postal Battalion.
I think this book was good, but not great. I believe this was the author’s debut, so I’d be interested to pick up more from them in the future. I did like a lot of elements of the history and seeing Grace and Eliza throughout the years. I know a lot of books do follow the Six Triple Eight, this was just the first one I picked up.
June 16, 2022
One of my favourite genres to read is historical fiction, precisely because these books tell me about incidents and people I don't know anything about from history. They make me want to know more and give me an idea of how things were. This book does that really well in the way it portrays how the first battalion of army women that included women of color were recruited, trained and posted to Europe.
It focuses mainly on two women, Grace and Eliza, who face different issues as women of color and due to their own personal circumstances but persevere. The racist behaviour they have to face along with the humiliating comments and segregation at every level gives an idea of how the thinking was even during war time.
What I liked was that despite being a WW2 story, the book managed to convey a positivity through the way it portrayed the strength of these women who refused to let personal fears or public ridicule deter them.
I wish there had been more of the main reason they were recruited - to handle all the mail backlog that had to be sorted and distributed to the soldiers fighting in Europe. The little that was touched on was interesting.
I liked the spunk of Grace, Eliza and the other women with whom they bonded over this shared experience. The character growth of both the women was nicely depicted.
It focuses mainly on two women, Grace and Eliza, who face different issues as women of color and due to their own personal circumstances but persevere. The racist behaviour they have to face along with the humiliating comments and segregation at every level gives an idea of how the thinking was even during war time.
What I liked was that despite being a WW2 story, the book managed to convey a positivity through the way it portrayed the strength of these women who refused to let personal fears or public ridicule deter them.
I wish there had been more of the main reason they were recruited - to handle all the mail backlog that had to be sorted and distributed to the soldiers fighting in Europe. The little that was touched on was interesting.
I liked the spunk of Grace, Eliza and the other women with whom they bonded over this shared experience. The character growth of both the women was nicely depicted.
July 27, 2021
I love reading books that educate me on real history, especially history that I never learned in school. Sisters in Arms is a fictional account of two young Black women who join the Six Triple Eight, the only all-Black battalion of the Women’s Army Corp during World War ! Not only do Grace and Eliza have to face prejudice from the white soldiers they are stationed with they have to face harsh criticism from their families. Grace is a piano prodigy but after she fails her Juilliard audition and her brother dies in battle - she needs to escape from her overbearing mother. Eliza wants her own byline and is sick of covering the society beat at her father's newspaper - she knows she can do more with her life. Joining the first unit of Black WAAC allows these two women to prove to themselves and the world that they are capable and that they are worthy. Sisters in Arms is the story of their friendship, their trials and tribulations, and the prejudice they faced. Wonderful storytelling.
dnf
April 17, 2022DNF. This book isn’t working for me, but I am strongly interested in the topic. I want to learn more so I checked out the bibliography of nonfiction books the author used for inspiration. GLORY IN THEIR SPIRIT and STANDING UP AGAINST HATE sound particularly interesting regarding Black women in the Army in WWII. So I will prioritize those for the summer or for Nonfiction November.
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