In the early 1940s, young women enlisted for peacetime duty as U.S. Army
nurses. But when the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 blasted the
United States into World War II, 101 American Army and Navy nurses
serving in the Philippines were suddenly treating wounded and dying
soldiers while bombs exploded all around them. The women served in
jerry-rigged jungle hospitals on the Bataan Peninsula and in underground
tunnels on Corregidor Island. Later, when most of them were captured by
the Japanese as prisoners of war, they suffered disease and
near-starvation for three years. Pure Grit is a story of sisterhood
and suffering, of tragedy and betrayal, of death and life. The women
cared for one another, maintained discipline, and honored their vocation
to nurse anyone in need--all 101 coming home alive.
The book is illustrated with archival photographs and includes an index,
glossary, and timeline.
Praise for Pure Grit
STARRED REVIEW
"Details of many nurses' individual trials combine to form a memorable
portrayal of their shared experience, one which will emotionally impact
readers."
--Booklist, starred review
"Primary source materials, especially the movingly matter-of-fact
recollections of several of the nurses and personal snapshots, bring the
story to life."
--Kirkus Reviews
"Farrell doesn't spare her young readers any grim details . . . She
includes the challenges these women faced and the joy they felt on
returning home. As awful as history can be, now might be the right time
to introduce the next generation to this important period."
--The Washington Post
"In addition to photographs and helpful maps, the page layouts include
facsimiles of the nurses' letters and diaries. Young readers who enjoyed
Tanya Lee Stone's Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who Dared to Dream will
also appreciate this story of courageous women whose story was nearly
forgotten."
--School Library Journal
