In this wartime New York novel, a girl's life intersects repeatedly with that of a gangster nightclub owner.
Anna Kerrigan first encounters Dexter Stiles as a child, with her father Eddie in one of his shady business meetings. Year later - with Eddie long gone - Anna has become a Navy yard worker and encounters Dexter again in one of his clubs. It's a captivating story of a woman forced to grow up early and her desire to work outside the bounds of what "girls" were allowed to do.
But the story isn't just Anna's - it's told in turns by Dexter, Eddie, and Anna. Therefore, you get the backstory of how crime pays, how shady deals happen, and what motivates each of the men. You also get a couple perspectives on the Kerrigan family, who are anchored by Anna's adored and severely disabled sister. Interestingly, the audiobook is a multi-cast recording with three narrators.
The ending was maybe a little too neatly tied for my taste, but overall I enjoyed the book immensely. It's always interesting to ponder the lives of women in the past and the struggles they faced, especially those offered a bit of unusual freedom during the wars.
Showing posts with label US Navy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label US Navy. Show all posts
Monday, May 21, 2018
Saturday, August 2, 2014
Port Chicago 50
by Steve Sheinkin, Audiobook Read by Dominic Hoffman
This is an oft-forgotten story of WWII. Sheinkin tells it in a heartbreaking manner with this children's book. In fact, I had not heard the story at all before the book became a sensation in educational discussion lists.
During WWII, black servicemen were still segregated from their white peers. At Port Chicago in San Francisco, those lines were strictly drawn. Only the black men loaded bombs. All the officers were white. After a horrendous explosion killing more than 300 men, several black sailors became afraid of returning to duty.
Initially, more than two hundred of them refused unless the conditions surrounding their work improved. When told the punishment for mutiny was death, all but 50 agreed to go back to work.
This book chronicles the trial and controversy that followed.
This is an oft-forgotten story of WWII. Sheinkin tells it in a heartbreaking manner with this children's book. In fact, I had not heard the story at all before the book became a sensation in educational discussion lists.
During WWII, black servicemen were still segregated from their white peers. At Port Chicago in San Francisco, those lines were strictly drawn. Only the black men loaded bombs. All the officers were white. After a horrendous explosion killing more than 300 men, several black sailors became afraid of returning to duty.
Initially, more than two hundred of them refused unless the conditions surrounding their work improved. When told the punishment for mutiny was death, all but 50 agreed to go back to work.
This book chronicles the trial and controversy that followed.
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