Girls on the Line: A Novel

by Aimie K. Runyan

“A moving tale of female solidarity and courage.” —Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of The Alice Network

December 1917. As World War I rages in Europe, twenty-four-year-old Ruby Wagner, the jewel in a prominent Philadelphia family, prepares for her upcoming wedding to a society scion. Like her life so far, it’s all been carefully arranged. But when her beloved older brother is killed in combat, Ruby follows her heart and answers the Army Signal Corps’ call for women operators to help overseas.

As one of the trailblazing “Hello Girls” deployed to war-torn France, Ruby must find her place in the military strata, fight for authority and respect among the Allied soldiers, and work to secure a victory for the cause. But balancing service to country is complicated further by a burgeoning relationship with army medic Andrew Carrigan.

What begins as a friendship forged on the front lines soon blossoms into something more, forcing Ruby to choose between the conventions of a well-ordered life back home, and the risk of an unknown future.

• ISBN10: 1503904563
• ISBN13: 9781503904569
• Publish Date: 6 November 2018
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Amazon Publishing
• Imprint: Lake Union Publishing
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 368
• Language: English

Reviews

[elysium]

Ruby Wagner is Philadelphian socialite whose parents weren’t thrilled when she joins Bell Telephone Company in 1917 as a switchboard operator for the army. Her mother especially has all planned out for her; marriage to Nathaniel, from a prominent Philadelphian family, being a wife and hostess. After Ruby’s brother gets killed in a battle, the whole family is devastated. When Ruby learns that Army Signals Corps are recruiting women to serve as a switchboard operator in France, she enlists. Her parents are not happy when they learn about that.

While in France get meets army medic, Andrew. When their friendship deepens Ruby starts to question her future marriage with Nathaniel.

This was an interesting read. I hadn’t read about the “Hello Girls” before so that was new. And for a change, it is WWI book instead of WWII.

Ruby was a likeable character who was a strong and determined woman. I liked seeing how Ruby and Andrew’s friendship grows into something else slowly. It wasn’t insta-love so yey.

I don’t know why I waited so long to read it. I really enjoyed it and was a well-written book. I’ve liked her previous books that I’ve read so I guess it wasn’t a surprise I liked this too.

[Jeff Sexton]

A Tale of Two Times. This book was a fascinating look at how World War One truly marked a demarkation in American history that is often times glossed over between the tumult of the American Civil War and the birth of the modern American Superpower in WWII, though I do not think it quite as glossed over as the author implies in her notes at the end of the book. The story presented here truly examines the author's thesis in detail though, and presents a moving drama within that framework. An excellent book that brings attention to one of the conflict's groups of unsung heroes, this book could well do for the 'Hello Girls' what other recent books did for the ladies of the Apollo program in NASA.