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
If I could give this more than five stars I would. It takes a while to keep track of all the characters – but once you settle in the book is unputdownable. Ten stories of WWII – that you don’t normally read about. Merchant Marine, a man trying to break the Japanese Code, a Jewish woman in the Resistance, a female journalist who goes to the front. An amazing book I have been thinking about since finishing it – highly recommend!
Wonderful history, good intertwined stories. It’s a bit long.
I thought this book was very well written with a lot of details about the war in Europe and in the Pacific. The characters were very well developed and you wanted to keep finding out what would happen to them. A lot of the characters were linked which made it more interesting. With everything from the resistance in France, the holocaust and the camps, the pain of war and the deprivation involved, the role of women, the opportunities for women and then their being let go when the war ended so the servicemen could have the jobs,. Tremendous detail.
But I felt I got bogged down in some of the battle descriptions especially in the war in the Pacific. But it was hard fought just to get one island or Japanese stronghold at a time.
But I would recommend the book.
I read this book over 3 decades ago and although I have read over a thousand books since then, it is still one of my favorites. I have bought this book as a gift many times. What I loved most about it was that it showed the horrors of war from many different perspectives. I was so invested in all the character’s stories.
You want be able to put it down i read till my eyes closed and then had to re read.
Good novel. I’d probably rated it high had I not just reread From Here to Eternity. Gone to Soldiers is good novel. Jones wrote a great one.
Always loved Marge Piercy’s writing be it poetry, fiction or in literary journals. This book is so original. Full of compelling characters facing unimaginably difficult choices and lives that they sometimes had no control over.
The best book I’ve read in a very long time.
I won’t go as far as the LA Times, which declared Marge Piercy’s Gone to Soldiers “the most thorough and most captivating, most engrossing novel ever written about World War II,” but certainly this epic novel is heroic in scope and well worth the time it takes to read the 750+ pages.
Piercy has created an entire cast of characters – ten separate narrators – and has given each of them a unique voice, compelling story, and impressive cast of supporting characters, in additional to intricately and believably linking together many of their stories, often in ways such that the characters themselves may not even realize they are linked to one another. In other words, like life.
Most, but not all, of the narrators are Jewish, some living comfortably in the U.S. while struggling to come to terms with what is happening to their relatives in Europe, others struggling daily under the heal of the Gestapo, watching in horror as friends, neighbors, family disappear, wondering when they themselves will be rounded up and departed.
From the jungle-covered islands of the Pacific, to the horrors of Auschwitz, to the factories filled with women churning out planes and tanks, and the halls of bureaucracy and secrecy in London and DC, Piercy explores the war from all angles. The final product is a carefully-crafted, thought-provoking work, admirable for what the author has done, as well as what she has written.
Five stars.
(This review was originally published at https://www.thisyearinbooks.com/2019/12/gone-to-soldiers.html)
Sorry but I couldn’t finish this book
The characters were realistic but the book jumped from one character to another.
I got so confused
I didn’t enjoy
My mass market paperback wore out over the years. I was so glad to find it available on buck bub. Thank you.
Too many characters most of whom are unlikable. The narrative switches from one character, or group of characters with no transition or explanation so it takes awhile to figure out who is talking or acting. I found the book a chore to read and didn’t finish reading it.
Very adult reading.
I was confused at first by the number of characters. But I hung in there and it was so worth it. She did her homework and I learned interesting historic details. I will read more by this author. My favorite of hers is Sex Wars.
If you war books with a little bit of love stories then this you will like. It tells about the women roll in the war effort
Nice to get the otherside (those left behind) perspective of war. Well written and easy read.
Real historical fiction, as opposed to some best sellers that say they are but aren’t. And WWII from a feminist perspective. I’ve read everything I could get my hands on about WWII, but this was the first book that really told me about Tarawa.
In the beginning the format (switching from character to character) was somewhat hard to follow. As a progressed with the book the interactions among the characters was interesting.
Probably true, but in most cases a yawning reading experience.