The Second Line of Defense

Narrator Susan Hanfield does a splendid job conveying WWI and the many women who made an immense impact on winning it. She skillfully employs an old-fashioned style for the quotes, and for the narrative she uses a contemporary delivery that enhances the descriptions of women ranging from nurses to telephone operators to prostitutes. The women who pushed against the limits society imposed on "the weaker sex" include elites, suffragettes, pacifists, African-Americans, and immigrants, all of whom have their say with distinction from Hanfield. Listeners will hear fascinating first-person accounts from women reveling in their new more exciting and challenging lives. The audio version is ideal for a book overflowing with names, dates, acronyms, and numerous notes of explanation. S.G.B. � AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine