Spring 2019, Wild Readers 5 discussion

I found the young adult novel Pure Grit by Mary Cronk Farrell to instantly draw me in. Personally, I am interested in the World War II era, as well as historical nonfiction, and especially women in history. This is a stand out story demanding of reader’s eyes and attention. Pure Grit follows U.S. military nurses in the Philippines. It illustrates the life changing events that happened on the Pacific front of WWII after Pearl Harbor. These women who mostly enlisted as Army and Navy nurses during a time of peace prior to the war, were now in the crossfires of treating warfair patients and becoming captured themselves. When reading it becomes hard at times to keep in mind that what has been written were real events. The pictures inside and on the cover help reiterate that the story is true, as it seems so impossible at times. I think students will be surprised to hear a WWII story set in the Philippines and based on women. The chapters are split well enough to entice a hesitant reader, and encourage a proficient reader. I would love to have this book on my shelf in a middle school or high school classroom facing the students front cover out. For my students, I would hope to see them earn respect for the bravery and emotional endurance the WWII nurses scrounged up. Integrity and honor hold the tone throughout the book. While the European front of the war is most recognized, this tells about a lesser recognized piece of the war. Pure Grit welcomes the familiar patriotic draw that ignites unity among Americans. It is and engaging, dramatic, and ultimately inspiring. The characters display heroic character and amazing resilience to whatever comes their way as nurses turned prisoners of war.