Amy R. (afsweetheart) reviewed American Nightingale : The Story of Frances Slanger, Forgotten Heroine of Normandy on + 6 more book reviews
A great read!
The book does jump around some, from her childhood to her adult life, but, once you get used to that, it really is a great & interesting read!
The book does jump around some, from her childhood to her adult life, but, once you get used to that, it really is a great & interesting read!
Thomas F. (hardtack) -
I've done extensive reading on World War II as I enjoy history and feel this conflict was one which changed the world for the better, despite the turmoil which ensued during the Cold War.
While I read the books for history, every now and then one really touches my heart. This one on a low-keyed Jewish woman who, as a child, was almost not allowed off Ellis Island and into the U.S. is one such.
Frances Slanger knew how deadly prejudice could be, having endured it in Poland before coming to America. Her father, who proceeded the rest of his family, let her know freedom was the right to work long hours for a few cents without having to worry about being killed.
Frances Slanger still faced prejudice in her new homeland and in her pursuit of a nursing career. She even endured it after she became a nurse and then an officer in the U.S. Army.
The description of the book includes a reference to a letter she wrote one night in France, just behind the battle lines. What it doesn't tell is how the Army's Stars and Stripes newspaper gave it front page coverage and how it was picked by by newspapers and radio programs across America, and how millions of Americans adopted her as a symbol of what America can be.
When Frances Slanger died from her wounds, her final thoughts were of the grief it would cause her family. With her death, the United States lost a great American. Slanger was a testament to how valuable most immigrants to the U.S. are.
Even if you don't like reading books about war, read this one.
While I read the books for history, every now and then one really touches my heart. This one on a low-keyed Jewish woman who, as a child, was almost not allowed off Ellis Island and into the U.S. is one such.
Frances Slanger knew how deadly prejudice could be, having endured it in Poland before coming to America. Her father, who proceeded the rest of his family, let her know freedom was the right to work long hours for a few cents without having to worry about being killed.
Frances Slanger still faced prejudice in her new homeland and in her pursuit of a nursing career. She even endured it after she became a nurse and then an officer in the U.S. Army.
The description of the book includes a reference to a letter she wrote one night in France, just behind the battle lines. What it doesn't tell is how the Army's Stars and Stripes newspaper gave it front page coverage and how it was picked by by newspapers and radio programs across America, and how millions of Americans adopted her as a symbol of what America can be.
When Frances Slanger died from her wounds, her final thoughts were of the grief it would cause her family. With her death, the United States lost a great American. Slanger was a testament to how valuable most immigrants to the U.S. are.
Even if you don't like reading books about war, read this one.
