Sisters in Arms: A Novel of the Daring Black Women Who Served During World War II
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"Sisters in Arms is heartwarming but fierce, a novel brimming with camaraderie and fire, starring women you'd love to make your friends. Prickly, musical Grace and bubbly, privileged Eliza may not make the most natural allies, but it's fight or die when they're thrown together in the Army's first class of female officers—and the first Black women allowed to serve their country in World War II. . . . Kaia Alderson's debut is a triumph!"— Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of The Rose Code
Kaia Alderson's debut historical fiction novel reveals the untold, true story of the Six Triple Eight, the only all-Black battalion of the Women's Army Corps, who made the dangerous voyage to Europe to ensure American servicemen received word from their loved ones during World War II.
Grace Steele and Eliza Jones may be from completely different backgrounds, but when it comes to the army, specifically the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC), they are both starting from the same level. Not only will they be among the first class of female officers the army has even seen, they are also the first Black women allowed to serve.
As these courageous women help to form the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, they are dealing with more than just army bureaucracy—everyone is determined to see this experiment fail. For two northern women, learning to navigate their way through the segregated army may be tougher than boot camp. Grace and Eliza know that there is no room for error; they must be more perfect than everyone else.
When they finally make it overseas, to England and then France, Grace and Eliza will at last be able to do their parts for the country they love, whatever the risk to themselves.
Based on the true story of the 6888th Postal Battalion (the Six Triple Eight), Sisters in Arms explores the untold story of what life was like for the only all-Black, female U.S. battalion to be deployed overseas during World War II.
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Kaia Alderson. (2021). Sisters in Arms: A Novel of the Daring Black Women Who Served During World War II. HarperCollins.
Chicago / Turabian - Author Date Citation (style guide)Kaia Alderson. 2021. Sisters in Arms: A Novel of the Daring Black Women Who Served During World War II. HarperCollins.
Chicago / Turabian - Humanities Citation (style guide)Kaia Alderson, Sisters in Arms: A Novel of the Daring Black Women Who Served During World War II. HarperCollins, 2021.
MLA Citation (style guide)Kaia Alderson. Sisters in Arms: A Novel of the Daring Black Women Who Served During World War II. HarperCollins, 2021.
| Library | Owned | Available |
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Kaia Alderson is a women's historical fiction author with a passion for discovering "hidden figures" in African American women's history. Her specific areas of interest are women's military history, popular music, women in sports, upper-middle-class African American society, and women's international travel. She holds a sociology degree from Spelman College and a master's degree in education from the University of West Georgia. She honed her writing chops at the Hurston/Wright Foundation's and VONA's writing workshops.
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"Sisters in Arms is heartwarming but fierce, a novel brimming with camaraderie and fire, starring women you'd love to make your friends. Prickly, musical Grace and bubbly, privileged Eliza may not make the most natural allies, but it's fight or die when they're thrown together in the Army's first class of female officers—and the first Black women allowed to serve their country in World War II. . . . Kaia Alderson's debut is a triumph!"— Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of The Rose Code
Kaia Alderson's debut historical fiction novel reveals the untold, true story of the Six Triple Eight, the only all-Black battalion of the Women's Army Corps, who made the dangerous voyage to Europe to ensure American servicemen received word from their loved ones during World War II.
Grace Steele and Eliza Jones may be from completely different backgrounds, but when it comes to the army, specifically the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC), they are both starting from the same level. Not only will they be among the first class of female officers the army has even seen, they are also the first Black women allowed to serve.
As these courageous women help to form the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, they are dealing with more than just army bureaucracy—everyone is determined to see this experiment fail. For two northern women, learning to navigate their way through the segregated army may be tougher than boot camp. Grace and Eliza know that there is no room for error; they must be more perfect than everyone else.
When they finally make it overseas, to England and then France, Grace and Eliza will at last be able to do their parts for the country they love, whatever the risk to themselves.
Based on the true story of the 6888th Postal Battalion (the Six Triple Eight), Sisters in Arms explores the untold story of what life was like for the only all-Black, female U.S. battalion to be deployed overseas during World War II.
- reviews
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- source: Booklist, starred review
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"Based on the true story of the 6888th Postal Battalion, Sisters in Arms gives readers an inside look at the racial injustices and rigors of wartime that the women battled. Alderson sweeps readers in with Grace and Eliza's personal journeys through a little-known portion of our army's history. Themes of female friendship, bravery, and resilience radiate from the pages of this magnificent novel." — Booklist, starred review
"This is not just another WWII story: this is a stirring and timely novel about the only all-Black battalion of the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps, a group of women who had to fight resolutely against countless obstacles in order to be permitted to serve their country. Grace and Eliza stole my heart with their spirit and their resilience, and the ups and downs of their tumultuous friendship made me laugh and cry. Poignant and powerful; an untold story that you simply must read." — Natasha Lester, New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Secret
"A thrilling anthem to the courageous sisterhood of the Six Triple Eight as they faced down racism at home and war abroad. SISTERS IN ARMS is a fresh look at the bold women who served America during World War II. A powerful debut!" — Stephanie Marie Thornton, USA Today bestselling author of A Most Clever Girl
"Sisters in Arms by Kaia Alderson is a poignant story about perseverance in the face of difficulties set against the uncertainty and danger of World War II . . . . From the start, they are set up to fail by their families, the Army and society but they meet every challenge with grit, grace and wit, overcoming personal and professional challenges to prove their mettle. Readers will cheer and cry with these trailblazing women as they break free of their sheltered and restricted lives to overcome individual and societal prejudices and succeed in a world rocked by war." — Georgie Blalock, author of The Last Debutantes
"Sisters in Arms is heartwarming but fierce, a novel brimming with camaraderie and fire, starring women you'd love to make your friends. Prickly, musical Grace and bubbly, privileged Eliza may not make the most natural allies, but it's fight or die when they're thrown together in the Army's first class of female officers—and the first Black women allowed to serve their country in World War II. . . . Kaia Alderson's debut is a triumph!" — Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of The Rose Code
"Grace Steele and Eliza Jones are among the first Black women in the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps, defying their families to enlist and facing even more racism than before when they put on their hard-earned uniforms. Unflinching, at times brutal, this novel pulls no punches while delivering a richly textured and unforgettable story of determination, courage, and friendship." — Janie Chang, author of The Library of Legends
"What an exciting new voice in historical fiction! I couldn't put down Alderson's novel of two young Black women testing their mettle and finding friendship and purpose during World War II. With fascinating historical detail and complex characters, Sisters in Arms casts a brilliant light on a group of women too long kept in the shadows." — Kerri Maher, author of The Girl in White Gloves
"Sisters in Arms is a riveting tale of ordinary Black women doing extraordinary things against all odds in a critical moment in world history. Kaia Alderson does an amazing job bringing these courageous yet unheralded women out of the shadows and into our hearts." — Jamie Wesley,...
- premium: True
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March 1, 2021
In Adams's debut, teenage library worker Aleisha shares The Reading List she's found (all scrunched up) with a widower trying to relate to his book-obsessed granddaughter (75,000-copy first printing). Alderson's Sisters in Arms tells the story of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, the only all-Black battalion of the Women's Army Corps during World War II (150,000-copy first printing). Buxton's Feral Creatures reintroduces us to S.T., the fabulously cheeky crow who starred in the multi-best-booked Hollow Kingdom. Ferguson, the Duchess of York, tells the Victorian-era story of Lady Margaret Montagu Scott in Her Heart for a Compass (150,000-copy first printing). Second in a spin-off from Hearne's New York Times best-selling "Iron Druid Chronicles" series, Paper & Blood features wily Scottish detective Al MacBharrais. In Jio's latest, Seattle-based librarian Valentina Baker receives news sent With Love from London that she's inherited an apartment and bookshop from the mother who abandoned her. Wealthy newcomers wreak havoc to the point of horror in a lakeside rural town in Bram Stoker Award winner Jones's My Heart Is a Chainsaw (100,000-copy first printing). New York Times best-selling Kadrey wraps up his iconic "Sandman Slim" series with the Shoggot gang, led by King Bullet, overrunning a virus-undone Los Angeles (75,000-copy first printing). Debuter Lange's We Are the Brennans features almost-30 Sunday Brennan returning from Los Angeles to New York to explain to both family and ex-fianc� why she left them five years ago (100,000-copy first printing). Author of the LJ best-booked Mexican Gothic, Moreno-Garcia returns with Velvet Was the Night, featuring a romance magazine-reading secretary in 1970s Mexico City obsessed with the disappearance of her beautiful next-door neighbor. Switching from big-hit dystopias, Mott sends his Black protagonist on one Hell of a Book tour in which he confronts police violence. In Pearce's Yours Cheerfully, first in a new series, advice columnist Emmeline Lake helps keep World War II London safe A(150,000-copy first printing). "Bridgerton" series author Quinn joins forces with her illustrator sister to create a graphic novel telling the story of Miss Butterworth and the Mad Baron, first hinted at in the seventh book in the series (50,000-copy first printing). After a four-year renovation, Paris's glamorous Hotel Louis XVI reopens, with Steel allowing Complications to erupt.
Copyright 2021 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
- premium: True
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June 14, 2021
Alderson’s impressive debut follows two New York City women who join the Army’s first all-Black officer candidate school during WWII. In 1942, pianist Grace Steele, 26, fumbles her Juilliard audition after learning that her brother died in the war, then joins the Six Triple Eight Battalion of the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps. Wealthy society reporter Eliza Jones, 23, whose father is the publisher of her newspaper and won’t allow her to take on assignments of any substance, also accepts the Army’s call. The women forge a rocky friendship while navigating the segregated organization, where tented table cards labeled “Coloreds” are placed on mess tables near the latrines. The company closes ranks when their major is almost court-martialed after “backtalking” a general, and succeed in having the charge dropped. Descriptions of boot camp and a U-boat chase during their voyage to Europe are standouts before the battalion is charged with a dangerous mission distributing mail to troops in England and France. Though the dialogue can feel underdeveloped, Alderson impresses with her account of trailblazing Black characters who battle racism and misogyny. The adventures of the Six Triple Eight will captivate readers. Agent: Kevan Lyon, Marsal Lyon Literary
- premium: True
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June 15, 2021
As the United States heads into World War II, two Black women in Harlem are dissatisfied with their career prospects. Although she's a brilliant pianist, Grace Steele freezes at her Juilliard audition and fears to confess her failure to her mother, who's already distraught about son Tony's disappearance in the Philippines. Eliza Jones is warring with her employer and father, the editor and publisher of a prominent Black newspaper, because he's relegated her to covering the society beat. Grace and Eliza meet as new recruits to the newly formed Women's Army Auxiliary Corps, where each hopes to alter her destiny. But as they enter training, even as relatively privileged officer candidates, they soon learn that racial and sex discrimination have followed them into the armed forces. Although prominent African Americans like Mary McLeod Bethune urge enlistment in the WACs to advance "the race," the government reneges on its promise to not segregate the WACs. The main arc of the episodic plot is the conflicted friendship between Grace and Eliza. There is a push-pull between them, instant dislike at first, followed by personality clashes--Eliza thinks Grace is rigid and arrogant, Grace resents Eliza's spoiled, upper-class attitude. Then both, unthinkingly, inflict grievous harm on the other. Eliza blames Grace for failing to warn her about disembarking, alone, at a deserted Kentucky train station, where she is savagely beaten. Later, Eliza will, unintentionally, put Grace in jeopardy in a manner that is equally mystifying and contrived. The language throughout is overly expository and repetitious. But the author fulfills her stated intent to shed light on "hidden figures," in this case, the trajectory of the WAC in general and the empowerment, however provisional, with which it "armed" its soldiers, who weren't allowed to bear actual arms. Calls long overdue attention to the Black women veterans of World War II.COPYRIGHT(2021) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
- premium: True
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Starred review from July 1, 2021
Alderson's emotional historical-fiction debut tells of the brave and daring all-female Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) during WWII, and its all-Black unit. Grace and Eliza come from totally different backgrounds, yet they are both determined to make something of themselves in the WAAC. Grace is a musical genius, though her love of composing jazz far outweighs her mother's desire for her to become a classical concert pianist. Eliza yearns to report on more than society gatherings for her father's newspaper, but once she gets a breaking news piece, he doesn't even credit her as the reporter. Both women decide they want to do something bigger and they find themselves training to be part of the first class of female officers in the army. Based on the true story of the 6888th Postal Battalion, Sisters in Arms gives readers an inside look at the racial injustices and rigors of wartime that the women battled. Alderson sweeps readers in with Grace and Eliza's personal journeys through a little-known portion of our army's history. Themes of female friendship, bravery, and resilience radiate from the pages of this magnificent novel.COPYRIGHT(2021) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
- premium: True
- source:
- content:
July 1, 2021
Alderson's emotional historical-fiction debut tells of the brave and daring all-female Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) during WWII, and its all-Black unit. Grace and Eliza come from totally different backgrounds, yet they are both determined to make something of themselves in the WAAC. Grace is a musical genius, though her love of composing jazz far outweighs her mother's desire for her to become a classical concert pianist. Eliza yearns to report on more than society gatherings for her father's newspaper, but once she gets a breaking news piece, he doesn't even credit her as the reporter. Both women decide they want to do something bigger and they find themselves training to be part of the first class of female officers in the army. Based on the true story of the 6888th Postal Battalion, Sisters in Arms gives readers an inside look at the racial injustices and rigors of wartime that the women battled. Alderson sweeps readers in with Grace and Eliza's personal journeys through a little-known portion of our army's history. Themes of female friendship, bravery, and resilience radiate from the pages of this magnificent novel.COPYRIGHT(2021) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
- premium: True
- source:
- content:
December 1, 2021
This historical novel follows two young Black women through their recruitment, enlistment, and service in the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps, later the Women's Army Corps, during World War II. Grace, a headstrong pianist mourning the recent loss of her brother in battle, and Eliza, a spunky aspiring news reporter with overprotective parents, meet at a WAC recruitment center in New York City in 1942. Despite a few initial disagreements, the two women form a bond that will endure through their service, which takes them from Iowa to the Eastern Seaboard and, eventually, all the way to Europe. With the other Black WAC members, who made up only five percent of women in service during World War II, Grace and Eliza face segregation and prejudice in addition to the universal challenges of wartime. Alderson draws from the available historical information on Black WAC members to paint a full picture of these women's experiences, and includes a robust reference section at the novel's end. Many secondary characters are based on real people. This historical accuracy is, however, somewhat undermined with a generous dose of creative license. A few elements, including the women's romantic interests and an improbable twist ending, feel unnecessary and out of place in the plot. While the novel is aimed at adults, teens will not struggle with its language or themes. VERDICT This book provides an entertaining, informative look at underrepresented and underreported Black stories from World War II. The importance of its subject matter certainly outweighs some shortcomings in storytelling.-Mary Kamela, Kenmore West High Sch., Buffalo, NY
Copyright 2021 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
- premium: True
- source:
- content:
August 1, 2021
DEBUT In Manhattan in July 1942, Grace Steele receives an invitation to join the new Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC). As a Black woman, she's finding it nearly impossible to get a teaching job. Her mother's dream for her (to be a concert pianist) likely died with her recent botched Juilliard audition. Grieving the wartime death of her brother Tony is nearly unbearable; facing her mother's grief is impossible. Across town, Harlem journalist Eliza Jones, who was raised in her family's newspaper business, chafes against her father's rules; she's ready to make her own mark on the world. Eliza and Grace couldn't be more different, but their choices bring them together where others root for their failure. They're assigned to WAAC's 6888th Central Postal Division, where their herculean task is delivering mail with incomplete addresses to U.S. soldiers overseas. VERDICT Based on the true story of the 6888th, Alderson's debut tells of the first women officers in the armed services (also the first Black women to serve, and the only all-Black, female U.S. battalion deployed overseas in World War II). For fans of Hidden Figures and untold stories of heroes and heroines of World War II.--Julie Kane, Washington & Lee Lib., Lexington, VA
Copyright 2021 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
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"Sisters in Arms is heartwarming but fierce, a novel brimming with camaraderie and fire, starring women you'd love to make your friends. Prickly, musical Grace and bubbly, privileged Eliza may not make the most natural allies, but it's fight or die when they're thrown together in the Army's first class of female officers—and the first Black women allowed to serve their country in World War II. . . . Kaia Alderson's debut is a triumph!"— Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of The Rose Code
Kaia Alderson's debut historical fiction novel reveals the untold, true story of the Six Triple Eight, the only all-Black battalion of the Women's Army Corps, who made the dangerous voyage to Europe to ensure American servicemen received word from their loved ones during World War II.
Grace Steele and Eliza Jones may be from completely different backgrounds, but when it comes to the army, specifically the...
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