This sweeping New York Times bestseller is “the most thorough and most captivating, most engrossing novel ever written about World War II” (Los Angeles Times). Epic in scope, Marge Piercy’s sweeping novel encompasses the wide range of people and places marked by the Second World War. Each of her ten narrators has a unique and compelling story that powerfully depicts his or her personality, … depicts his or her personality, desires, and fears. Special attention is given to the women of the war effort, like Bernice, who rebels against her domineering father to become a fighter pilot, and Naomi, a Parisian Jew sent to live with relatives in Detroit, whose twin sister, Jacqueline—still in France—joins the resistance against Nazi rule.
The horrors of the concentration camps; the heroism of soldiers on the beaches of Okinawa, the skies above London, and the seas of the Mediterranean; the brilliance of code breakers; and the resilience of families waiting for the return of sons, brothers, and fathers are all conveyed through powerful, poignant prose that resonates beyond the page. Gone to Soldiers is a testament to the ordinary people, with their flaws and inner strife, who rose to defend liberty during the most extraordinary times.
more
WWII from a fresh perspective–that of women in the USA.
Can’t describe this book in simple terms. It was magical, lyrical, sad I could go on but don’t want to bore you. The book begins with WWII and has people living in Europe, the far East and the United States. I am looking for other books by this author. This was a book I literally hated to finish. I could have continued to follow her characters.
This is One of my favorite books of all time
This is an excellent book about WWII. There are a lot of different characters and sometimes it was difficult to keep them all straight but it was very good.
10 narrators. 10 families. A world at war. Concentration camps, resistance fighters, politics, American code breakers, 700 plus pages. WOW. The reader becomes totally familiar with the characters, their lives, loves, feelings, and sorrows. The book spans the whole gamut of human emotions, of human experience, of humanness. Well worth the 25 plus hours of reading time on my Kindle, well worth putting aside other books to stay engrossed in the lives of the characters.
Initially I found this book confusing, and thought it lacking in continuity, but then could see how the lives of the characters in the story were intertwined. I read this book a number of years ago, but do recall it as one of the best books I’ve read.
It concerns several women during WWII. It follows these women from the German occupation of Paris to the Midwest USA. The courage, hope, and perseverance of these women is truly remarkable. The War, the Holocaust, the impact on Europe as well as in the USA is presented in inspirational stories that do Not romantacize War..though there are relationships arising from the chaos. I recommend this book as a look at the way women lived the War years here and abroad..