Happy #bookbirthday to The Silent Women by Tara Lynn Masih! What is the job of the main character in your current read?
Song Holloway’s life is defined by hardship. Her family survived Black Sunday in the dust
bowl in 1935, but they had to leave their farm to travel east to live with her
aunt. Her father died working for the CCC
and as a highschooler, she works on a farm and watches the skies for plans to help
in the WWII effort. When she graduates
high school, her science teacher recommends her to work on a top-secret project
in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Song meets many
new people, learns new skills, and wonders what exact top-secret project she is
working on. When she is asked to spy on
her friends, what will she do? Will the new
GI she met turn into more than a fleeting romance?
My thoughts on this novel:
· I liked the look at a life from the dust bowl as a little girl through WWII as a teenager and young adult, and then early married life after the war. It was a good cross section of a life and showed how the greatest generation had to live through a lot of tough times.
· I liked the family, friend, and acquaintance that Song met along the way. She was able to make some deep connections with a lot of interesting people.
· There is a great authors notes at the end of the novel on author Tara Lynn Masih’s inspirations for this book. She did a lot of great research to put this together.
· I loved learning about the atomic city, Oak Ridge Tennessee and the unique life that the inhabitants lived. Song’s job inspecting pipes for leaks is based on real job there.
· Black Sunday during the dust bowl is vividly described. One of my favorite quotes, “Song watched the blackening wall, like ballooning mountains, descend on them. Mesmerized. It was almost beautiful, with balls of dust in the curtain of what was now all fluffy black.”
· I loved the theme of being able to heal and move on with life. Scarred, but moving forward.
· I enjoyed that it wasn’t just a happily ever after story but was realistic look at what returning GIs had to face as well as women who had to leave their important war time jobs. I would love to read more of Song’s story.
· This would make a great movie!
Overall, The Silent Women by Tara Lynn Masih is a fascinating
historical fiction novel with great characters.
Book Source:
Thank-you Storm Publishing, Tara Lynn Masih, and Get Red PR for the
review copy of this book!
