Angels of Mercy: The Army Nurses of World War II

You Are Needed Now, the posters proclaimed. Join the Army Nurse Corps. And so they did: Over 59,000 American women signed up to serve their country in the war effort. Some joined expecting to experience the romance and adventure of war in faraway places while working to save lives. Many more quickly learned war's harsh realities -- and that their own lives could also be in danger.
The Army nurses of World War II served in the United States and abroad, in dense jungles, war-torn villages, and on barren ice fields. Many encountered hardships: bombings, crude living conditions, inadequate food. They also experienced the frustration of receiving lesser pay and privileges than their male counterparts as they worked, sometimes around the clock, to treat the wounded while confronting air raids, the threat of invasion, and capture by the enemy.
Nonetheless, in additon to their devotion to saving lives, some of the most important things the nurses brought to their units were courage and cheer. From holiday parties in makeshift hospitals to fudge making and softball games amid the grueling conditions of war, these angels of mercy brought light -- and life -- to the American forces of World War II

Author: Betsy Kuhn
Publisher: Aladdin Paperbacks
Published: 10/01/1999
Pages: 128
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.70lbs
Size: 11.12h x 8.13w x 0.29d
ISBN: 9780689820441

Accelerated Reader:
Reading Level: 7.1
Point Value: 3
Interest Level: Middle Grade
Quiz #/Name: 34737 / Angels of Mercy

Award: Jefferson Cup - Honor Book

Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 10/25/1999 pg. 82
Booklist 10/15/1999 pg. 438
School Library Journal 11/01/1999 pg. 172
New York Times 02/13/2000 pg. 26
ALA Best Books Young Adults 01/01/2000 pg. 1339
Hornbook Guide to Children 07/01/1999 pg. 164 - Below Average, With Minor Flaw
Ingram Advance 10/01/1999 pg. 99
Hornbook Guide to Children 01/01/2000 pg. 164 - Below Average, With Minor Flaw
Library Journal 11/01/1999

About the Author
Betsy Kuhn, who wanted to write books for children since she was eleven years old, grew up in western Pennsylvania. She became interested in the nurses of World War II from listening to her aunt, June Bossler, and her friend, Alice Weinstein, describe their nursing experiences in England and the Pacific.

Since leaving Pennsylvania, Betsy has lived in England, New Mexico, and Connecticut. She now makes her home in Maryland with her husband and their twin sons. She also has written a children's novel, Not Exactly Nashville.