Sign-In
Cart
Switchboard Soldiers: A Novel of the Heroic Women Who Served in the U.S. Army Signal Corps During World War I
Paperback
General FictionHistorical Fiction
Publisher Price: $19.99
ISBN13: 9780063080706
Publisher: William Morrow & Company
Published: Jun 13 2023
Pages: 464
Weight: 0.74
Height: 1.08 Width: 5.33 Depth: 8.02
Language: English
From New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Chiaverini, a bold, revelatory novel about one of the great untold stories of World War I--the women of the U.S. Army Signal Corps, who broke down gender barriers in the military and battled a pandemic as they helped lead the Allies to victory.
An eye-opening and detailed novel about remarkable female soldiers. . . Chiaverini weaves the intersecting threads of these brave women's lives together, highlighting their deep sense of pride and duty.--Kirkus Reviews
In June 1917, General John Pershing arrived in France to establish American forces in Europe. He immediately found himself unable to communicate with troops in the field. This gripping WWI historical fiction novel reveals that Pershing needed telephone operators who could swiftly and accurately connect multiple calls, speak fluent French and English, remain steady under fire, and be utterly discreet, since the calls often conveyed classified information.
At the time, nearly all well-trained American telephone operators were women--but women were not permitted to enlist, or even to vote in most states. Nevertheless, based on these true events, the U.S. Army Signal Corps promptly began recruiting them.
More than 7,600 women responded, including Grace Banker of New Jersey, a switchboard instructor with AT&T and an alumna of Barnard College; Marie Miossec, a Frenchwoman and aspiring opera singer; and Valerie DeSmedt, a twenty-year-old Pacific Telephone operator from Los Angeles, determined to strike a blow for her native Belgium.
They were among the first women sworn into the U.S. Army under the Articles of War. The male soldiers they had replaced had needed one minute to connect each call. The switchboard soldiers, with their incredible skill, could do it in ten seconds.
Deployed throughout France, including near the front lines, the operators endured hardships and risked death or injury from gunfire, bombardments, and the Spanish Flu. Not all of them would survive.
The women of the U.S. Army Signal Corps served with honor and played an essential role in achieving the Allied victory. Their story has never been the focus of a novel...until now.
Also from
Chiaverini, Jennifer
The Patchwork Players: An ELM Creek Quilts Novel (Large Print Edition)
Chiaverini, Jennifer
Paperback
ELM Creek Quilts Christmas: Quilts, Scenes, and Stories from the ELM Creek Quilts Novels
Chiaverini, Jennifer
Paperback
Harriet's Journey from ELM Creek Quilts: 100 Sampler Blocks Inspired by the Best-Selling Novel, Circle of Quilters
Chiaverini, Jennifer
Paperback
The World's Fair Quilt: An ELM Creek Quilts Novel (Large Print Edition)
Chiaverini, Jennifer
Paperback
The Museum of Lost Quilts: An ELM Creek Quilts Novel (Large Print Edition)
Chiaverini, Jennifer
Paperback
The Women's March: A Novel of the 1913 Woman Suffrage Procession (Large Print Edition)
Chiaverini, Jennifer
Paperback
The Christmas Boutique: An ELM Creek Quilts Novel (Large Print Edition)
Chiaverini, Jennifer
Paperback
Also in
Historical Fiction
James Fenimore Cooper: The Leatherstocking Tales Vol. 1 (Loa #26): The Pioneers / The Last of the Mohicans / The Prairie
Cooper, James Fenimore
Hardcover
Anniversaries, Volume 2: From a Year in the Life of Gesine Cresspahl, April 1968-August 1968
Johnson, Uwe
Paperback
The Pirate Queen: A Novel from the New York Times Bestselling Author of the Frozen River
Lawhon, Ariel
Hardcover
The Moonlight Runner: A Gripping Historical Novel of Survival, Bravery, and Romance
Robards, Karen
Hardcover
The Amalfi Curse: A Bewitching Tale of Sunken Treasure, Forbidden Love, and Ancient Magic on the Amalfi Coast
Penner, Sarah
Paperback
The Pirate Queen: A Novel from the New York Times Bestselling Author of the Frozen River (Large Print Edition)
Lawhon, Ariel
Paperback
A Pair of Aces: Reese's Book Club (Large Print Edition)
Murray, Victoria Christopher
Benedict, Marie
Paperback
Murder on the Orient Express: A Hercule Poirot Mystery: The Official Authorized Edition
Christie, Agatha
Paperback