The Foxhole Victory Tour by Amy Lynn Green (Austenprose Book Tour)

 

Do you like to go to concerts?  If so, are you more of a big concert or small concert kind of person?  I feel like I need to get back into going to concerts, it seems like I stopped going once we had kids!

Maggie McCleod and Catherine Duquette were a part of the Swinging Sweethearts and performed in concerts around the Midwest.  Maggie played the trumpet and started out life as the poor daughter of a Salvation Army pastor in Chicago.  Catherine Duquette played the violin and was the daughter of a wealthy family in St. Paul.  While they were performing in Minneapolis, they were approached to become a part of a USO variety tour group to perform for troops fighting in World War II.  The girls are shipped to North Africa as part of the Foxhole circuit and meet their fellow variety group members.  Their manager also informs them that he will be watching them to recommend one of them to join Bob Hope’s Pepsodent program.  All five members all have their own reasons for wanting to join the group.  Who will be selected?

I greatly enjoyed this novel.  I have never read a novel about the USO groups and have not read much about the war in North Africa.  It was interesting to read about the impact that the USO had on the morale of the troops.  It was also dangerous for these groups to be performing right near the front lines.  Groups performed on ships, at hospitals, on the front, etc. They were not all the famous people that I was used to seeing perform with Bob Hope. I really enjoyed the characters of Maggie and Catherine, but I also enjoyed the other members of their group and how they became a family along the way.  It was interesting to see how they all changed during their tour. 

I also like how the book dove into how women were able to serve during the war.  One quote that stuck with me through the book was, “Pretty girls aren’t meant for ugly wars.” These women wanted to help, and their looks had nothing to do with it.  Besides being in the USO, they meet up with a Women’s Army Corp group in Africa.  Other interesting topics were homelessness of veterans, PTSD in WWI veterans, the shaming of men with disabilities that were unable to fight and forced labor camps in North Africa.  I learned a lot and enjoyed reading about these characters.

The book had a great Author’s note at the end about the historical events behind the novel and had great questions for a book club group.

This author has written other WWII books and I need to check them out!

Favorite quote:

“The way I see it, if some of those men are going to die in battle, the best thing we can do is sing them home.”

Book Source:  Review copy from Bethany House as part of the Austenprose PR Book Tour. Thank-you!  Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

QUICK FACTS

·       Title: The Foxhole Victory Tour: A Novel

·       Author: Amy Lynn Green

·       Genre: Historical Fiction, WWII Fiction, Inspirational Fiction

·       Publisher: Bethany House Publishers (January 23, 2024)

·       Length: (400) pages

·       Format: Trade Paperback, eBook, & Audiobook 

·       ISBN: ‎978-0764239571

·       Tour Dates: January 22 – February 5, 2024

 

BOOK DESCRIPTION

Based on true World War II stories of life in the USO variety shows, worlds collide when performers from around the United States come together to tour North Africa.

Vibrant and scrappy Maggie McCleod tried not to get fired from her wartime orchestra, but her sharp tongue landed her in trouble, so an overseas adventure with the USO's camp show promises a chance at a fresh start. Wealthy and elegant Catherine Duquette signs with the USO to leave behind her restrictive life of privilege and to uncover the truth behind the disappearance of the handsome pilot whose letters mysteriously stopped arriving.

The two women are joined by an eclectic group of performers--a scheming blues singer, a veteran tap dancer, and a brooding magician--but the harmony among their troupe is short-lived when their tour manager announces he will soon recommend one of them for a coveted job in the Hollywood spotlight. Each of the five members has a reason to want the contract, and they'll do whatever is necessary to claim it. As their troupe travels closer to the dangerous battlefront in Tunisia, personal crises and wartime dangers only intensify, putting not only their careers but also their lives on the line.

 

PRAISE FOR THE FOXHOLE VICTORY TOUR

• "Green deserves a standing ovation for her rousing story of unlikely friendships, courage over comfort, and the impactful work of USO performers during WWII. The Foxhole Victory Tour transports readers from the concert halls of Minnesota to the coasts of Casablanca to the active war zone of Tunisia. It is plot-driven without sacrificing relational drama, and its ragtag supporting cast of lovable misfits thoughtfully portrays the art and heart of live performance."— Booklist
• 5-STARS “I was impressed with how much Green was able to pack into the story and still keep it cohesive and natural. I ended up loving all the characters and their story arc, and I'm looking forward to reading more of Green's work.”— Debra, Goodreads
• “The Foxhole Victory Tour is a wonderful story of historical fiction with great characters, vivid descriptions, and some tough truths that will make readers reflect on their choices and their priorities.”— Jordon Lynch, The Literary Library
• “This story was full of emotion and captivating on every page. The setting of World War II is so real, you feel like you are with them. This is must-read. A story you won't put down and will be sad to say goodbye to after it's over.”— Elizabeth Eckmeyer, Interviews & Reviews

 

PURCHASE LINKS

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | PUBLISHER | BOOKSHOP | BOOKBUB |    GOODREADS

AUTHOR BIO

Amy Lynn Green is a lifelong lover of books, history, and library cards. She worked in publishing for six years before writing her first historical fiction novel. She and her husband live in Minnesota, where she teaches virtual classes on marketing at writer’s conferences, engages with book clubs, and regularly encourages established and aspiring authors in their publication journeys.

 

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