This is a topic I'd love to have more books on, so I'm glad the author tackled it. I just wanted to *know* the characters better. I feel like through the book, there was a lot of facts, but it misses the emotional component for me.

What a privilege to be able to walk with these brave ladies as they survive a time of historic upheaval and change in not just our nation, but the world. This book is enlightening, heartbreaking and uplifting. There are passages that make me angry in the treatment of these heroes, and other passages that give me hope. I encourage anyone who enjoys reading the WWII era to read this book. It will bring to light a seldom mentioned and often forgotten part of the war and the people impacted by it.

Author: Sheila Williams @dancingonedge2
Summary: The acclaimed author of The Secret Women and Things Past Telling returns with an engrossing historical novel about a little known aspect of World War II — the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, the only Black WACs to serve overseas during the conflict. In the wake of the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, Dorothy Thom, Spelman graduate, librarian and Francophile, joins the Women’s Army Corps wanting to do her part for the war effort. Longing for adventure, she has one question for the “Do you think I’ll get to go abroad?” As Dorothy and her sister WACs discover, life in the Army is an adventure filled with unexpected deprivations and culture shock. Women from all levels of society, secretaries, teachers, and sharecroppers, work together to navigate a military segregated by race and gender. At boot camp, the “colored girls” are separated for processing. At Ft. Riley, the women’s barracks are rustic and heated by coal-burning pot-bellied stoves while German POWs spend their incarceration in buildings with central heat and hot water. In early 1945, Dorothy and eight hundred African American WACs cross the turbulent North Atlantic to their post in England. Their orders are to process the mail sent to GIs from their loved ones back home, an estimated 17 million pieces. The women arrive to find mail stockpiled for over two years in warehouses and airplane hangars, many pieces in poor condition, the names illegible. In England and France, the WACs traverse a landscape of unimagined possibilities. With their outlooks changed forever, they return to the United States as the catalysts for change in America and build lives that transcend anything their ancestors ever dreamed of. No Better Time illuminates a love of country and duty that has been overlooked until now. Copy provided by @netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Likes: This was an inspiring read filled with optimism and resilience. Williams’ storytelling is engaging, and I loved learning about strong women, especially women of color, who helped build and defend this country! This is a must-read!
Dislikes: Some of the backstories weren’t explained in as much detail as I had hoped.
#historicalfiction #WWII #AmericanHistory #Fiction #Army #WACs #WomenOfColor #POC #feminism #girlpower #booksbooksbooks

This book didn't draw me in or endear me to the characters, it almost felt like someone reciting the information they knew. I'm glad to have learned about the 6888th, but wish there had been more emotional attachment or development in the characters. It was interesting to find out the different reasons for joining and the determination and hard work, but again wish there could have been more connection to it. Felt more like snapshots into peoples lives. I wish it had been more readable, but it is still a book that I'm glad I read.

Dorothy was a very interesting character.She had a lot of education. She had a very interesting life because she was raised in Atlanta.Then a equivalent ohio. She taught for a while in florida and then she went up to spellman as a librarian. She always wanted to go to france because I one of her favorite things to do was read in french. When the war came, she decided she wanted to have an Adventure. So she signed up for the w.A c. The training was really hard and she met a lot of different women in life, especially one who had a baby at a wetlock. She was very unhappy in Ohio, but she wanted to provide for her child.. A lot of times it was really hard for these women because they were still racially disadvantaged because they could not do things like the white woman could do. They were sent overseas to help with the backlog of letters and packages. One incident they were in a pub one night when I white sellers came in and they wanted these black women to leave because they didn't feel this was right but the english part under is still up for them. Then they were sent to France and this was a real. Eye opener her thigh did amazing things say one. It was a cook and she found ways to supplement their food and talk to the local people. Dorothy was happy because it was where her favorite author was. It was a very interesting book because it showed different aspect of these women's lives and how they were trying to move forward in life.

No Better Time by Sheila Williams is an interesting book about the women who joined the army during WWII. The women faced racism, prejudice and sexism while serving in the Women Army's Corps during World War II. The 6888th were African American women who joined the Army to help the cause and did they help! Their huge task was to fix the logjam of mail and packages in Europe. They found a way to get the mail to the correct addresses through determination, perseverance, and hard work. I wish there was more depth into the characters. here's some book recommendations on the 6888th unit: Sisters in Arms by Kala Alderson and Women of the Post by Joshunda Sanders.

Reading this novel gave me insight into the early days of black females serving in the military. How they were treated and the impact they had on the soldiers. Interesting and well written. I started this book and read it until I completed it to know the outcome.

This book sheds light onto a part of history that has been overlooked until now. A group of African American women in the Women’s Army Corp played a big role in history as they were assigned to go overseas to redirect and process mail sent to GIs. Their service, laced with a love for their country, has been magnified throughout this incredible story. I adored their precious friendship and camaraderie but hoped to get to know the characters more on a deeper level. I really enjoyed that although the women came from different places, backgrounds and joined the WAC for different reasons, they shared a common bond after their experiences together.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, @bibliolifestyle and @amistadbooks for this ARC!

This is the third book I've enjoyed and read about the 6888, and It was just as good. This one offers a slightly different perspective on the women, but It stayed true to the story and was completely captivating. This story drew me in right from the beginning and I could not put it down. I read it in one sitting.. This was such an incredible, well written, engaging and enjoyable story. I will surely be putting this author on my list for future works as well as her blacklist. This was the first time I've read a book from this author, and after this it won't be my last.

I really enjoyed No Better Time. I loved the fact that it was about women who wanted to help and didn't initially know how. The reasons for signing up were quite different. It also highlighted an area I hadn't thought much about, getting mail to the right person. I loved this.

This book covered an interesting part of history that I knew little about. I was happy to read it, but somehow it read more like non fiction without very much to help me relate to the women. However, it was written cleanly and was very accessible -- I just wished I had cared more about the characters.

Quick read about a group of Black women serving during WWII. It details their experiences enlisting, training, and eventually taking posts overseas to process backlogged mail. It also touches on the sexism and racism the women face being both Black and female in the US military. The characters navigate daily challenges through friendship, cunning, resourcefulness, and sense of humor (while still making time for some fun and adventure).

To me, this felt more like non-fiction than historical fiction. It's a very simple, straightforward, high level telling of events. It reads like an attempt to balance facts with entertainment, not an attempt to ignore facts for entertainment. I would recommend to those who like reading from lesser-known perspectives in history, or those who enjoy stories of found family.

I recently read another historical fiction novel about the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion and I was so interested in this piece of history that I had not previously known about. I was so excited to see this new book from Sheila Williams about the only Black WACs who served in Europe during the war.

I loved that the author used inspiration from her own family to bring her characters to life. The book covered so much historical ground while also feeling like a story about women's relationships. The historical facts never get lost in the character-driven arcs.

An awesome story of a group for Black WAC's who are sent to England during WWII to process undelivered mail for GI's. Their experiences there not only effect the GI's but also them. The whole war experience changes the way they see the world, their place in the world for all of their futures.

This was an incredible story that focusing on women who joined the 6888th Battalion of the Women’s Army Corps. A few women in particular are highlighted and their treatment, reasons for enlisting, service, etc. is discussed.! This story was very well written, researched, & captured by the author! Very well done 👏🏾👏🏾.!

I enjoyed reading about Dorothy, Leila and Hazel. They were three black women who wanted to do something to help their country in the Second World War. And so they did! It ended up that they helped all of the cards, letters, packages get to the soldiers in an ever-changing world. My issue with the book was that part of it read as a nonfiction novel and part of it was obviously fiction. It was a good book and I am glad I read it. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy for my honest review.

No Better Time by Sheila Williams is an interesting book about the women who joined the army during WWII. The black women faced a lot of prejudice and most often handled it with grace and speaking as a group with their superiors. The women added a lot of humor and comradery
for each other, whether black or white. I would have enjoyed the book more if it actually told more of the story of these women. I felt as if the book was nonfiction. I learned a lot of facts, which I appreciated as I read any historical fiction book of WWII. I would have enjoyed knowing these women better.

Thank you to NetGalley and Armistad Publishing for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the arc and change to read this story in advance. Any and all opinions given are my own.

While I do wish there had been more story elements to this story, I was able to learn about aspects of WWII I was not aware of before hand. There is a lot of emphasis on the telling portion of the book, teaching the reader about things usually unspoken or ignored in most stories that take place during the war. Such as the mail backup for troops and how it was handled. I did enjoy the information given, and the fast pace of the story. The time jumps within chapters were a wee bit confusing and could've used better transitions. Other than that the story was great, and I enjoyed getting to see into the more ordinary lives of women serving during the war. The struggles they faced with inadequate housing and with racism still fully prevalent in the United States. Dorothy and Leila had two different life experiences going into the army, and ended up with very similar ones by the end of their service. The friendship that formed between the two and Hazel was sweet and fun to watch grow. I would've loved to see more of their friendship growing with tales, but there also wasn't a lot happening for these women in terms of excitement due to their more subtle stationing. This is when the time jumping came in handy and made sense. The jump to events and new stations made the book go faster than detailing everything between exciting moments. I did enjoy the story and will look for more stories about the women of the 6888th.

When I saw that this book was about the 6888th Women's Army Corps, I had to read it. I've read two other books about these amazing women and wanted to learn more. I love when authors continue to find new perspectives about the same event or people. The 6888th were African American women who joined the Army to help the cause and did they help! Their huge task was to fix the logjam of mail and packages in Europe. They found a way to get the mail to the correct addresses through determination, perseverance, and hard work. When stationed in Birmingham, England and then in Rouen, France, their battalion of strong women had to make due with less than ideal barracks and working conditions. The women featured in this book each had their own reasons for joining the Army and we follow them as they train at different bases around the United States. We follow them to England and their lives on post. I would have liked a little more detail about their day to day life but maybe then it would have become too dry. Dorothy was my favorite person because she wanted an adventure and she made it happen. She was college educated and finally got to use her French degree when they got to Rouen and visited Paris. She did not let obstacles get in her way.
In this ARC, the author's notes were to come, but I am hoping there will be more details about which women were real or fictionalized in the final printed copy. Major Charity Adams led the women and has her own story. This book focused on the women that wanted more from life and wanted to do their part to help win the war.
If you are looking for another interesting story of the 6888th, I would add this to your TBR list!
Thank you to Amistad and Net Galley for a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

No Better Time: A Novel of the Spirited Women of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion follows the stories of Leila Branch and Dorothy Thom in their lives before and during World War II. Both women coming from different backgrounds decide to “do their part” and join the United States military for their own varying reasons. They meet upon entering the military and they are among the women deployed overseas as part of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, an all African-American, all women battalion.

As someone who has read A LOT of literature revolving around WWII, I had never heard of this group of women. Their motto of “no mail, no morale” rallied them around a common cause to get the much anticipated mail and packages to the soldiers fighting all over Europe. Their work, from my research, has gone relatively thankless, and their presence in the war was met with much disdain because 1) they were women and 2) they were Black women.

This book ignited a new interest for me; I want to learn all about women’s work during wartime throughout American history. I want to learn their names, I want to appreciate their sacrifices.

Sheila Williams did a great job of capturing and conveying the camaraderie between the women in the story. Their work, the struggles they faced, the backlash they received were all communicated well. I really did enjoy Williams’ writing and was able to finish the book within a couple days. If you love WWII focused historical fiction and novels about women’s contributions and hard work, this is a book I recommend!