GI Brides

September 1, 2014
The love stories of four British women who married American soldiers.When American soldiers flooded the streets of London and the surrounding English countryside during World War II, British girls were swept off their feet. Barrett and Calvi (The Sugar Girls, 2012, etc.) bring together the stories of four war brides-Sylvia, Gwendolyn, Rae and Margaret-who fell in love with these men in uniform. Little did they know how much their lives would change once the war was over or that they were expected to live in America with their new husbands, far from the land and culture with which they were familiar. The authors' prose is saturated with details of life during and after the war, which brings readers into that era, when the chance to live in America meant a house of one's own, modern conveniences and affluence. For each of these four women, the American dream didn't necessarily turn out to be glamorous. One struggled to raise her children on mere pennies while her husband spent all his wages on alcohol, and another faced skepticism from her husband's family as to whether she was a suitable bride. When surrounded by a group of strangers, another longed for home, where she felt understood-not like in America, where "these people had no idea who she was or what she had been through." Another battled against her husband's gambling addiction. But despite their hardships, these women soldiered on and tried to make the best of their situations. Alternating among the women, the authors bring to light the joys and sorrows of each woman, but readers may find it easier to read each story in its entirety before switching to another one. Entertaining stories about four women who embraced life with American soldiers after the end of World War II.

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September 15, 2014

After the end of World War II, an estimated 70,000 British women migrated to the United States to marry soldiers they met during the conflict. Although their experiences varied, all the women shared the task of adapting to a new country without the benefit of family and friends. Nearly 70 years after the initial arrival of the women, coauthors Barrett and Calvi (Sugar Girls) reunited to compile the accounts of 60 brides throughout the States. The result of their efforts is an archive that provides access to some of the oral histories collected (available online at gibrides.com), as well as contemporary stories of four GI brides. Their narratives illuminate the challenges faced by these women along with the ups and downs of their experiences during and after the war. VERDICT While serious scholars might prefer Jenel Virden's well-documented and more analytical Good-Bye, Piccadilly: British War Brides in America, most readers will find this chronicle an entertaining vehicle for learning about the British GI brides' experiences.--Theresa McDevitt, Indiana Univ. Lib., PA

Copyright 2014 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 15, 2014
During WWII, when thousands of American GIs were stationed in Britain, thousands of young British women were testing their newfound freedom born of war conditions. They were working as secretaries and in war factories, lending their efforts as hostesses and recruits in the armed services, warned away from the GIs by their parents, brothers, and other British troops. But how could they resist the exotic accents and glamour of relatively more prosperous young men as hungry for romantic adventure as they were? Barrett and Calvi profile four young womenSylvia, Rae, Margaret, and Gwendolynas they met and eventually married American GIs. When VE Day finally came, they were among the 70,000 women who traveled to the U.S. as GI brides. What they found was the reality of a very different culture, sometimes rural isolation, an ocean away from their friends and families, married to men they barely knew. Barrett and Calvi chronicle the journey each woman took as she managed to make a new life for herself and her new family.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)