Courageous Women of the Vietnam War

June 1, 2018

Gr 9 Up-A variety of women are profiled in this utilitarian entry in the series. Four are Vietnamese representing different political factions, seven are American, and one each is from France, Australia, and New Zealand. The text is then divided chronologically into five parts representing turning points in the conflict, with each section beginning with a narrative history of the time period. The subjects include military nurses, a doctor, a surgeon, journalists, a relief worker, a revolutionary, a schoolgirl sentry, and internationally known folk singer/activist Joan Baez. Their stories graphically present the horrors of war and the difficulties associated with being female in a war zone. The postwar struggles with public castigation of those who served and the emotional and physical consequences of having lived and worked in a battle zone are realistically discussed. The biographies are supplemented with "learn more" boxes and explanatory sidebars define a concept or issue. Black-and-white photographs add context to historical places described throughout. VERDICT For libraries in need of collective biographies about women or a new take on the Vietnam War.-Cindy Wall, Southington Library & Museum, CT

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 15, 2018
Grades 7-10 In this latest volume in the publisher's Women of Action series, Atwood offers in-depth profiles of 14 women who were involved in various ways with the Vietnam War, from its historic roots in the 1940s and '50s to its end in the 1970s. Included are American, French, Australian, and Vietnamese women (from both North and South Vietnam). Though largely unsung, these women played a variety of essential?and dangerous?roles: nurses, field surgeons, relief workers, journalists, and in singer Joan Baez, war protester. Arranged chronologically in five parts (1945-56, 1957-64, 1965-68, 1969-70, and 1971-75), the profiles are accompanied by brief histories of the various periods. Also included are sidebar features examining such topics as communism, Agent Orange, songs of the Vietnam War, the Vietnam Women's Memorial, and more. The result is illuminating and inspiring, giving faces to women whose contributions deserve more attention. Included are a glossary, notes, and a lengthy bibliography useful for further reading.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)