Sisters in Arms, the debut novel by Kaia Alderson, tells the story of the 6888th Postal Battalion, a unit of the WACs during WWII comprised entirely of Black women. I love historical fiction in general and WWII fiction in particular, and enjoyed learning something new and reading about experiences of women in the war of which I was largely unaware.

The two main protagonists come from quite different New York City backgrounds - their relationship develops throughout the novel as they move from recruits to experienced officers stationed abroad. I was surprised by the amount of prejudice they experienced throughout their careers, wrongly assuming that the army was more racially egalitarian at the time. Not unexpectedly they both believed that they had to more than prove themselves given their sex and race. Their journey of mistakes of successes provides an interesting and inspiring story.

Sisters in Arms is the story of the first group of all -black women who were sent overseas during World War II. Grace Steele and Eliza Jones are two of the women who were part of the Six Triple Eight. Their job was to ensure American servicemen received letters, etc. from their loved ones. The women faced racism at home and abroad.
Grace and Eliza were very different and had a rocky relationship. Both women had personal issues and family problems that were part of the story.
The story of the WAC was one that I was unfamiliar with...especially the brave women of the Six Triple Eight. That was interesting and I would have liked to learn more about the women and their mission.
Thank you Net Galley.

I really enjoyed learning more about the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) in WWII. While I have heard of the WAAC, I didn’t know they were the first class of female officers in the army and also the first Black women allowed to serve. This was written with great deal of historical accuracy (I loved reading about all the research and real life characters that were included in the novel). However, I felt some it was a bit fast paced and more time could have been spent with the main characters and the significant incidences in their lives. Overall, I still enjoyed this well-researched historical fiction.

Sisters in Arms, by Kaia Alderson, is the story of two women from different backgrounds who meet when they both join the U.S. Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps against their family’s wishes. Grace is a pianist who has hopes of attending Julliard. Eliza is the daughter of the owner/editor of a newspaper who wants to do more than cover the fluff pieces her father keeps assigning to her. Both women are accepted into the first WAAC Officer Candidate School. As two of only forty Negro women who are allowed to be a part of the class, Grace and Eliza experience triumph and tribulation along the way but they also discover themselves.
As I started reading this book I felt that Grace’s character was a little stilted and rigid. However, as the story progressed I realized that it was a reflection of Grace, who held herself to a very exacting standard and did not let anyone know the real her. If you are looking for a story about WWII from a different perspective, try Sisters in Arms.

A 4.5 star read in my book! It’s a work of historical fiction based around WWII African American women joining the war effort. It details theirs backgrounds and centers on two main protagonists that develop a friendship after they grow to respect each other’s differences. The prose is easy to read and the picture painted is a vibrant one. Thanks to NetGalley for the early read.

Grace Steele has just frozen during a piano audition for Julliard when she remembers a letter in her bag with return address: The War Department. It is an invitation from Mary McLeod Bethune to join the US Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps.

Eliza Jones is working for her father’s newspaper, Harlem Voice, when she receives a phone call from Mary McLeod Bethune. Both of these young black women are dealing with major life disappointments when they arrive at the Army induction center—it’s 1942.

To the protestations of their families Eliza and Grace are seeking comfort and distraction to lives that have not played out as they hoped. Now they are taking two of the 40 spaces that had been allotted to African American women at OCS. They may be frenemies at the beginning but finding their mission to be one in common they begin to look at one another in new ways. After training at Fort Des Moines Iowa the women are commissioned into the all Colored WAC awaiting their next orders--the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalian, known as the Six Triple Eight.

Written with a great deal of historical accuracy this is both informative and a great read. I can't recall another WWII story that actually takes the reader inside a unit made up entirely of women, let alone women of color. There are incidents of discrimination, of harrassment, of celebration, and of extreme tragedy. I am grateful to have learned about this little known historical first.

Thank you to @williammorrowbooks, @harpercollinsus, #NetGalley for this #advancereaderscopy. #bookclubgirlfreefriday.

Loved this book! Great story of female friendship. World War II is the backdrop for a story of how people do not need to be exactly alike to be friends.

What a debut novel! An engaging and really interesting read about a WWII unit that was comprised of African American women soldiers who served in the UK and France. We see the struggles and discrimination faced by these women through the eyes of Grace and Eliza the first African American officers of the 6888 Battalion of the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps.
Based on true events this is a enlightening read and provides an insight into an area of WWII I knew nothing about.

Sisters in Arms in a World War II historical fiction novel that stands out in a crowded genre. It is about women, yes, but women that are rarely mentioned in this particular part of history - and undeservedly so. The story is told by Grace and Eliza, Black women that couldn't be more different than possible from each other, but are both recruited to serve as officers in the WAAC. Grace is a no-nonsense, classically trained pianist that is driven to sign up when her family receives notification that her brother was killed in the Philippines. Eliza is from a pampered background and working for her father at his newspaper - discontent that he doesn't see her aspiring higher than the society beat. The story moves back and forth between the women's experiences and interactions with each other from their time undergoing training until after the conclusion of the war, and shows the role the 6888 regiment played in Europe. There are points where the storytelling could be more even going back and forth between Grace and Eliza - it tends to more heavily favor Grace and multiple chapters are told without switching points of view. I also feel like in covering the whole war experience that parts of the story aren't told as fully as they could be, and wish they would be. All in all though, if I'm going to read a book in a VERY saturated genre, I'm glad that Kaia Alderson found a way to bring a new and overlooked perspective, incorporating real women that served, into the mix.

“Sisters in Arms” tells the relatively unknown story of the Women’s Auxiliary Army Corps (WAAC) formed during World War II, in particular the segregated African-American female unit, some of whom formed the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion. It starts by introducing the two main characters and their motivation for applying for the WAAC. Grace Steele comes from a working class family. Her father is a Pullman Porter, and her mother is a seamstress living in New York City. She is a gifted pianist and auditions for a scholarship at Juilliard on the day a telegram arrives announcing her soldier brother’s death in the Philippines. She fails the audition and decides to accept an invitation she received in the mail to apply for the WAAC.

While waiting for her interviews, Grace meets Eliza Jones. Eliza comes from an upper middle class family that also lives in New York. Her father owns a newspaper where Eliza is only allowed to work on the society pages, rather than as a sports writer or a war correspondent as she desires. Frustrated with her father’s failure to take her seriously, she accepts a personal invitation to join the WAAC from Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune, a family friend and prominent African-American woman with ties to Eleanor Roosevelt, as well as being an advisor to Presidents.

Both Grace and Eliza are sent to Officer Training School where they quickly form a love / hate relationship which persists throughout their subsequent assignments, culminating in their posting to England and then Rouen, France with the 6888th Central Postal Directory, where they are in charge of the unit responsible for sorting incoming and outgoing post to and from the U.S. and the European continent. It also highlights other supporting characters, such as Major Charity Adams, who was in charge of their unit, and several enlisted women for whom Grace and Eliza were responsible.

Through rich characterizations, the author makes readers feel the pain, strength and struggles experienced by these brave women as they fought against racial prejudice and gained additional courage and personal growth as they realized their own potential. This was a very enlightening and enjoyable novel, shedding a much needed light on this little known aspect of World War II history.

I enjoyed this fast paced novel of a friendship between Black women in World War 2. It added diversity to the World War2 historical fiction subgenre. It felt a little too fast paced that we had to get to the big important scenes and I would have liked more time spent with the characters.

Sisters in Arms by Kaia Alderson is a great WWII-era historical fiction that places a spotlight on the actual existence of a wonderful group of brave women that made up the 6888 battalion of the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps. This book has it all: history, excellent female character cast, gripping narrative, suspense, and action. I loved it.

This is such a wonderful, unique, and memorable book. I had no idea about this group of strong, brave, and selfless women that defied odds, broke societal boundaries in regards to their gender and skin color (and really should either of these even be an issue?!). The first all-Black group of women were real and fought against so many obstacles at home and abroad. Having this novel be presented gives them a voice and the attention that they so justly deserve.

The author was impressive with the way she was able to take fictional characters, Grace and Eliza, and weave them into historical events with real individuals. I liked their respective background stories, both of their paths and progress as they grow, change, mature, and experience life and war. I also enjoyed the dynamics between the two and the friendship that developed. The hurdles and challenges that this group of women faced head on were intimidating to say the least, yet were able to shine while serving their country.

I really enjoyed and appreciated this important point in history that was able to be brought to the mainstream with this memorable wartime novel.

5/5 stars

Thank you NG and William Morrow for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication.

An important bit of history in an engaging story. I have been reading many books on the contributions of women during WWII - pilots, code-breakers, resistance fighters and more. This was an important aspect; the women of color who worked side0by-side with other women and allowed the men to fight. Their contributions was critical to the success of the Allies. I was pleased to read at the end of the book that even though this was a novel that some of the people were historical and that the story was based in fact. I give honor to all the people who were part of the WWI effort, especially the women who stepped up, changed history and were a beginning of showing women could move beyond their traditional role. I give even more credit to the women and men of color who stepped up to support a country that was treating them poorly. This is a story that needed to be told. May it pay tribute to the real women of color who served with honor.
"Sisters in Arms" was well written and engaging. I read it in a couple of days and was almost sad when it was over. The story was well crafted and multi-faceted. I think I would have liked this women. The characters were well crafted. A well put together book that I would recommend to others for both the story and the history it was built on.

Grace and Eliza decide to change their lives by joining the Corp. Their spirit and countless obstacles were tremendous! Grace and her music are a main part. She wants to play Jazz and her mother wants her to play at concerts. Many ups and downs as black women, but so well written! A marvelous historical read. Loved it

Read if you: Enjoy historical fiction, but want a more broader and inclusive reading experience.

I've been looking forward to this story for some time--I saw the author at a World War II fiction panel during the recent LIbrary Journal Day of Dialog, and was excited to pick this up. I was not disappointed; stories about African-American involvement in World War II are greatly needed. Eliza and Grace are two very different characters and bring different life experiences.

Librarians/booksellers: A must purchase! Your historical reader fans will welcome it.

Many thanks to William Morrow/Custom House and NetGalley for a digital review copy in exchange for an honest review.

There are so many stories left untold of blacks in the military during WW2. This relevant story written by Kaia Anderson is based on the true story of an all-Black battalion (6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion). The two main characters clash when they first meet. Grace= an aspiring pianist who just learned on the day of her audition to Julliard that her soldier brother was killed. Her audition was a bust and she hastily decides to fill out an application to join the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps. Eliza works for her difficult father, an editor of a Harlem newspaper. She is enraged when her father publishes her story under his name. With her mother's help, she joins the WAAC. Personalities collide when the two meet in line at the recruiting office. The author brilliantly writes of how these brave women face discrimination as they dutifully serve their country. An incredible story! Highly recommended! Thank you, NetGalley and Harper Collins for the opportunity to read this inspiring novel.

Sisters in Arms by Kaia Alderson provides a story about a little known World War II unit comprised of African American women soldiers. The 6888th Postal Battalion served in the UK and in France. The soldiers faced discrimination, new found friendships and fremenies, , strife, triumphs, and resilience. We see the struggles they faced through the eyes of musically talented Grace and newspaper reporter Eliza.

I have read a good number of World War II books, and this was the first one that came my way that told the story of a WAC (Woman's Army Corps) African American unit and their endeavors.

U.S.A., England, France - 1944 and 1945

Grace Steele has just learned that her brother, Tony, is presumed dead in the Philippines, so her audition to get into the prestigious Juilliard School of Music isn't going well. For one thing, she forgot to bring her sheet music. And secondly, how can she possibly concentrate in her grief? She is not surprised when she is advised to think about how serious she is about becoming a concert pianist. In reality, Grace is doing this for her mother, for Grace would rather be playing jazz. Still, now she must find something to do with her degree in education since her musical career seems to be on hold. It's then that Grace remembers a letter in her bag from the War Department. Inside is an application and invitation from Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune to join the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps.

Meanwhile, across town in Harlem, Eliza Jones is at war herself. But this war is with her demanding father who is the editor of the Harlem Voice newspaper. After writing a breaking news story about Nazi spies on Long Island, Eliza's father, after praising her work, publishes the story under his name. At the same time, Eliza receives a telephone call from presidential advisor Dr. Bethune urging her to join the WAAC. A new, all-Negro women's unit is being formed, and officers, as well as enlisted, are needed. With her degree from Howard University, plus her recommendation by family friend, Dr. Bethune, Eliza would be a shoo-in to be one of the forty Negro women selected for Officer Candidate School.

Grace and Eliza don't exactly hit it off as they present themselves at the recruiter's office. Grace sees a spoiled rich girl, while Eliza thinks of Grace as rude. Still, they both find themselves at Grand Central Station a few weeks later boarding the train for Officer Candidate School in Iowa. There, the women all face the realization that they are not only the first women, but the first Negro women to become officers in the newly formed Women's Army Auxiliary Corps. What they also discover is that not all of the male officers training them are at all pleased to have women, let alone Negro women, in "their" Army. But the women themselves are more than determined to finish and graduate, and, hopefully, do their part for their country. At the conclusion of the program, Grace is assigned to remain in Iowa to train future women, and Eliza is sent east to work in recruiting. However, a newly formed battalion brings them back together when they are both assigned to the 6888th Postal Battalion, and sent to England.

SISTERS IN ARMS is based on the true story of the "Six Triple Eight" postal unit of all Negro officers and enlisted women formed during World War II. The 6888th was the only all Black, all female battalion to be deployed overseas during the war. Their exemplary service is poignantly and brilliantly presented in this amazing novel. The personal lives of Grace and Eliza are woven into the story of the battalion, bringing to life the ups, and considerable downs, of being a Black woman, let alone a woman, in the military. Both women grew up in the north, and the segregated military is difficult to deal with. The author pulls no punches as she depicts the racial prejudice and slights that, even today, are difficult to comprehend.

SISTERS IN ARMS is a history all readers should embrace. It is brilliantly written and impeccably researched. Hats off to debut author Kaia Alderson.

The historical setting was the best part for me. It was fascinating to learn about the 6888 WACs. I wanted more about their day-to-day duties and experiences both stateside and in Europe. There was one great section on matching up the mail with the soldiers, even those with poor addresses. There is a historical note at the end, which is helpful. There was a bit in the middle of the book where two or three years were run through very quickly. Even if it's wasn't much longer, I would have liked more details on what the characters were doing and their stories during that time. I had a hard time connecting with the main characters, and their relationship with each other. I get that they're supposed to compare and contrast, and also have a push and pull relationship that transforms into friendship, but it felt somewhat scattered. The way things were wrapped up with their families felt a too pat. But! I really appreciated that the book focused on the stories of the women, rather than their romances. I love that it's showcasing women of color and their war work, a part of history that shouldn't be neglected. I think with another round of revisions/editing, this could be a really strong book. I just want it to be more and better, because it's so close. And as it is, it's definitely worth adding to larger library collections.