1944, New York City. Judy Washington is tired of working from dawn til dusk in the Bronx Slave Market, cleaning white women’s houses and barely making a dime. Her husband is fighting overseas, so it's up to Judy and her mother to make enough money for rent and food. When the chance arises for Judy to join the Women’s Army Corps (WAC) and the ability to bring home a steady paycheck, she jumps at the opportunity.
Immediately upon arrival, Judy undergoes grueling military drills and inspections led by Second Officer Charity Adams, one of the only Black officers in the WAC. Judy becomes fast friends with the other women in her unit—Stacy, Bernadette and Mary Alyce—who only discovered she was Black after joining the army. Under Charity Adams’s direction, they are transferred to Birmingham, England, as part of the 6888th Central Postal Battalion—the only unit of Black women to serve overseas in WWII. Here, they must sort a backlog of over one million pieces of mail.
The women work tirelessly, knowing that they're reuniting soldiers to their loved ones through the letters they write. However, their work becomes personal when Mary Alyce discovers a backlogged letter addressed to Judy that will upend her personal life. Told through the alternating perspectives of Judy, Charity and Mary Alyce, Women of the Post is an unforgettable story of perseverance, female friendship, romance and self-discovery.
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Motivating.
I have read multiple books about WWII, and few that featured women serving in the army. However, this was the first book that I came across which focused on black women's experience during the war. It is something that I did think about when I read books about WWII that focused on the women serving, I wondered if their experiences were different. When I came across Women Of The Post and read the synopsis of the book, I knew that I had to read this book. I tend to enjoy WWII books, especially the ones that feature strong women, it takes a lot to join the military, to serve and protect our country. I was hooked on this book within minutes of starting reading, I couldn’t get enough of the story, and I was invested in each of the character’s stories. The descriptions and the emotions of each of the characters, that what made it hard to put the book down. There were few times when I looked up to realize how late it was, because of how invested I was in the story.
I saw how differently they were treated because they were black. It seemed that nobody took them seriously because of their race, and that included the officer. Why should it matter what race they are? They are doing what everyone else in the military is, protecting our country. I can’t even begin to imagine how it felt for them, but reading the book, I felt like I could feel everything that they were feeling. I loved reading the letters that some of them wrote to their loved ones, it made the story even more personal. While reading Women Of The Post , I found myself rooting for all the girls in the unit, praying for all of them to make it home to their loved ones. I never even thought that during the war someone had to sort all the mail and that there chance that mail wouldn’t make it to their loved ones.
I read a few inspirational WWII books before, but this one…I can’t even begin to explain how I am feeling right now. Women Of The Post was the first novel that I have read by the author, and now that I have, I’m eager to see what she comes up with next. I would highly recommend this book to historical fiction fans. You will find yourself on the edge of your seat from start to end, a story that will stay with you.
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