Alexis Clark

There are so many aspects of history that never make it into history books. Little has been written about the experiences of black women who served as nurses in the military during World War II and even less about the prisoner of war camps that were here in the United States. This book covers both of these subjects, plus telling the story of an African-American nurse who falls in love with a German POW. And finally it tells the story of the challenges a mixed race family had in the America show more of the 1950's.

Listening to this audio book made me angry at the prejudices of the military, and also of the American people, who relegated black military personnel to second class assignments, and the customs of the country that kept them segregated from the opportunities of normal American life. We should have done better and we still need to do better. show less

I listened to this book which I received from the publisher to review. Much of what I learned was entirely new to me. I did enjoy learning about the African American nurses and how badly they were discriminated against during World War II. The love story of Elinor and Frederick was sweet and their struggles as an interracial couple were compelling. All that said, the story was told in a straightforward, boring style which made me unable to give it more than three stars. The

An unlikely couple, if there ever was one, WWII Black American Army nurse Elinor Powell and 19 year-old Prisoner-of War Frederick Albert were thrown together by rampant American racism, directed at Powell, and the life-long love and sympathy developed by Albert, during his youth in Germany and Austria, for the New Orleans Jazz of Black American musicians Louis Armstrong and Sydney Bechet, which inspired in Frederick an undiscriminating attraction for Black Americans. When the two met by show more chance in a prison mess hall ... where he worked as a cook ... Albert immediately and impulsively introduced himself as the man who would become her husband.

Their romance began slowly and carefully, as any hint of fraternization between German prisoners-of-war and Army nurses would have resulted in disastrous trouble for both. Despite all obstacles their love survived that lonely Arizona prisoner-of-war camp, deportation, family opposition, and overt discrimination, almost wherever they lived, whether in the USA or in Austria.

This is an audio "book", the first I've ever heard ... and for the most part it "works". The only complaint I have is over the pronunciation of a few foreign names (of cities)... and the inability of this listener to "see" how those names are spelled. show less

Elinor, an African American nurse, is stationed at a German POW camp in the Arizona desert. Here, she meets Frederick, a German prisoner, and falls in love with him. After the war they marry and have children. This book combines their story with general facts about the time period and race relations. Unfortunately, the book felt stagnant at times. I wish the author had gone more with a story telling route than the typical non-fiction recital of facts. While their story was interesting, it show more could have been a more impactful book if it focused purely on the couple. show less