Claudia Friddell is no stranger to my blog. A year ago I featured her book, Saving Lady Liberty: Joseph Pulitzer Fight for the Statue of Liberty. Today I have another fantastic informational picture book, Grace Banker and Her Hello Girls (Calkins Creek, 2021). In Part II Claudia and illustrator Elizabeth Baddeley provide the back story to this glimpse into the women who served behind the scenes in World War I.
REVIEW
Drawing upon Grace's diaries and interviews, the story opens in December 1917 with Grace reading how the commander of the U.S. troops in Europe was issuing a call for female telephone operators.
but it was the one Grace acted on.
Grace was thrilled not only to be accepted into the Signal Corps, but she was named the chief operator of the first group of thirty-seven women to go overseas. After two months of drills and classes, the Signal Corps Girls headed to France on board the troop ship Celtic.
When a fire broke out in the barracks, the girls wouldn't leave their posts. Only when they were threatened with court-martial did they leave their switchboards!
On May 22, 1919 Grace was the first woman soldier to receive the U.S. Army's Distinguished Service Medal. She wrote in her journal:
That was not the only way that women were called to help with the war effort,
but it was the one Grace acted on.
As a telephone operator, she had the skills and she also knew French and English. But, women had never been allowed in the army.
Grace was thrilled not only to be accepted into the Signal Corps, but she was named the chief operator of the first group of thirty-seven women to go overseas. After two months of drills and classes, the Signal Corps Girls headed to France on board the troop ship Celtic.
,_circa_in_May_1898_(NH_912).jpg) |
By U.S. Navy photo NH 912, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8664455 |
The minute the Signal Corps Girls started plugging in cords and connecting calls at General Pershing's headquarters in France, calls poured in from homesick doughboys missing the voices of their mothers, sisters, wives, and sweethearts.
Grace loved her busy twenty-four-hour days. She wrote in her journal, "Never spent more time at the office and never enjoyed anything more. My girls work like beavers."
When General Pershing moved his headquarters to the front, Grace and her girls followed--with gas masks and helmets hanging from their chairs. Grace was almost hit by shrapnel but nothing kept the women from making sure that every call was connected. "Any missed command could lose the battle."
At one point General Pershing moved the unit to a top-secret location.
Like the conductor of an orchestra, Grace directed her girls from the top of a crate. With fingers flying over the fighting lines' switchboards, the operators barely noticed the bitter winds or leaky barracks.
When a fire broke out in the barracks, the girls wouldn't leave their posts. Only when they were threatened with court-martial did they leave their switchboards!
Finally, on November 11, 1918, a captain of the Signal Courts picked up Grace's phone and made an urgent call--
On May 22, 1919 Grace was the first woman soldier to receive the U.S. Army's Distinguished Service Medal. She wrote in her journal:
There are many who saw far more service than I, and many who earned medals even if they did not receive them. Mine I consider as a tribute to the girls who worked under me at the First Army and to the Signal Corps men operators scattered throughout the tiny tiny field offices.
BACK MATTER
Seven pages of back matter include a timeline, the fight to obtain full veteran's benefits for the operators, relevant statistics, information on how a switchboard worked, an extended bibliography and interesting artist's notes. There's no question that this book is an excellent curriculum resource for 1st-3rd graders.
Come back next week to read about how Claudia obtained this amazing story and more information on Elizabeth's process of researching and creating the illustrations.
GIVEAWAY
Leave me a comment along with your email address and I'll enter your name once. Leave a second comment on Part II and you'll be in twice. U.S. addresses only. If you prefer, send me an email to enter.
17 comments:
wow! I enjoyed learning about Grace and the other women who sacrificed, served, and risked their lives during the war. It still blows my mind that women at this time could serve this way, yet not have a right to vote.
Thanks, Danielle. That's one of the points that Claudia makes in the back matter.
Wow! What an important story! I didn't know about Grace Banker--what a great looking book. Thanks for sharing!
What a fascinating topic! I can't wait to read more.
E Charles--I'd like to put your name into the giveaway but I need your email address!
This is such an amazing piece of women's history! I've noticed Claudia Friddell has some serious researching skills and always tells a remarkable story.
And Claudia's research story is coming up next!
This is a wonderful book! I can't wait to read the story behind the research! (pls don't put me in the giveaway)
Very interesting book! Hope I win!
I love your description of this book and look forward to reading it. A good friend's mother and aunt worked as telephone operators for many years, including during some key historical events, like the Titanic, so this book feels very special to me.
Thanks Sue, Mona, and Zachary for your comments. I appreciate you stopping by.
How fun! I worked as a switchboard operator for the phone company when I was in high school. I will be fascinated to read this story. Thanks for the post.
Wow, Rosi. You would really relate to this story!
This sounds like a fantastic read!
Thanks, Cathy. It is!
This sounds great! I have a student at my school who loves to read biographies of strong women and this book seems like it would be perfect for her!
Thanks, Lori. If you search my blog (top left) for women and picture books you'll find other great biographies!
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