About:
GI Brides: The Wartime Girls Who Crossed the Atlantic for Love by Duncan Barrett and Nuala Calvi is a non-fiction book following the lives of several British women who married American soldiers during World War II and followed their husbands stateside. Author Nuala Calvi is the granddaughter of one of the ladies (Margaret) which the book centers around.
The publisher is giving away one copy of this book –to enter fill out the Rafflecoptter form at the end of the post.
My rating for GI Brides — 4
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Thought:
GI Brides: The Wartime Girls Who Crossed the Atlantic for Love by Duncan Barrett and Nuala Calvi is not a romance, nor does it provide a happy-ending scenario, quite the opposite, the book describes the trials and tribulations of the women who left behind family and everything familiar to follow their husbands.
The story is told through the eyes of the woman who lived it, while it took around the same time, each one had an individual and unique experience. While the synopsis might sound like a fairytale (falling in love, crossing the ocean, etc.) the reality was much harsher and difficult.
The book includes pictures of the women and their families, which I referenced often and really helped me visualize who’s who during the reading. While some of the book can be an engrossing fictional novel, it is real as it comes and some of the stories are heart wrenching.
This is a great book for anyone interested in the period or the subject. One can learn a lot from what the women had to sacrifice and the great struggles they faced, sometimes living a nightmare.
Synopsis:
The book follows the lives of four women, Margaret, Gwendolyn, Rae and Sylvia from the outset of World War II to current day. The authors tell of how they met their husbands and their experiences in a strange, new land.
Buy this book from in paper or electronic format*
More Recommended World War II books on Man of la BookStore
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Disclaimer: I got this book for free from TLC Book Tours.
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I love reading stories like this because it reminds me of my grandparents. Gram came over from England in 1946 to marry my Grandpa who she met during the War. Luckily their story ended much more happily - they are still married, and recently celebrated their 67 anniversary!
Thanks for being a part of the tour!
I read this book in order to write a book review for the Historical Novel Society. I agree with your assessment that one can learn a lot from it, however, the four women did not come alive as individuals and I found that I had to consistently remind myself who was who.