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20 reviews for:
Pure Grit: How American World War II Nurses Survived Battle and Prison Camp in the Pacific
Mary Cronk Farrell
4.14 AVERAGE
20 reviews for:
Pure Grit: How American World War II Nurses Survived Battle and Prison Camp in the Pacific
Mary Cronk Farrell
4.14 AVERAGE
A year or so ago, I read We Band of Angels, where I first learned of the Army and Navy nurses who were brave and courageous in the face of the Japanese invasion of the Philippines. This book also discusses the nurses' experiences in Bataan and Corregidor, as well as the three years of internment many of them faced in Santo Tomas.
They faced malnutrition, malaria, dysentery, Japanese soldiers constantly looming while they did their best to help their patients, even as food and medical supplies dwindled. When they were rescued, no one believed them, or if they did, didn't want to hear about the horrors that still haunted them. We'd call it PTSD now, but no one knew what that was back then, and if they did, they didn't think the women could possibly have the issues the men did - after all, they'd seen REAL combat. The nurses did eventually receive recognition, but unfortunately, quite a few died before that happened.
And of course, we don't hear about that in school. In my high school classes, we knew about the Philippines being a center of combat, and Midway, and the Bataan Death March, but that's about it. We didn't learn about the underground hospital in Corregidor, or that MacArthur was evacuated to Australia, supposedly to launch a greater offensive from there.
This is a short read, but well-done, and has some really great pictures to help you immerse yourself in the nurses' stories.
They faced malnutrition, malaria, dysentery, Japanese soldiers constantly looming while they did their best to help their patients, even as food and medical supplies dwindled. When they were rescued, no one believed them, or if they did, didn't want to hear about the horrors that still haunted them. We'd call it PTSD now, but no one knew what that was back then, and if they did, they didn't think the women could possibly have the issues the men did - after all, they'd seen REAL combat. The nurses did eventually receive recognition, but unfortunately, quite a few died before that happened.
And of course, we don't hear about that in school. In my high school classes, we knew about the Philippines being a center of combat, and Midway, and the Bataan Death March, but that's about it. We didn't learn about the underground hospital in Corregidor, or that MacArthur was evacuated to Australia, supposedly to launch a greater offensive from there.
This is a short read, but well-done, and has some really great pictures to help you immerse yourself in the nurses' stories.
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
I've been hearing about this book for some time and knew exactly what it would cover. Despite that, it drew me in with the immediacy and historic details. I especially enjoyed the chapter on the women's lives after liberation. The PTSD (a virtually unknown condition in that era) and how their service was overlooked for so many years. Great read for middle school or above.
Pure Grit tells the story of the American nurses in the Philippines during WWII. These nurses join the Army and the Navy because there were a lot of opportunities, but they never expected to actually be part of the war. We are taught a lot about WWII and the battles that took place in Europe. Unfortunately, a lot of history books minimize the war in the Pacific, which was just as deadly as the European front. I had no idea that hours after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor they attacked the Philippines. I had no idea that American forces were forced to surrender and became prisoners of war. The nurses that were on the island were also forced to surrender and be placed in internment camps. The nurses continued to care for their patients both before and after the surrender with dwindling supplies of both medication and food. They agonized over leaving gravely injured patients to the mercies of the Japanese. Once the war was over the nurses received little to no recognition for their efforts and suffered life-long physical and mental disabilities. It wasn't until recent years that their history has come to light and they have been recognized for their heroics. This was a very readable book, in fact it was hard to put down. The story is gripping and because it is true very moving. I would definitely recommend it.
Check out my review on abookishlifeforme.blogspot.com
http://abookishlifeforme.blogspot.com/2014/12/pure-grit-how-american-world-war-ii.html
http://abookishlifeforme.blogspot.com/2014/12/pure-grit-how-american-world-war-ii.html
Really excellent nonfictional account of American army and navy nurses' ordeal in the Philippines in WW2. Detailed without being prurient, making it suitable for upper middle graders, and thoughtful on the shabby treatment these women received after the war. My only quibble is that the women all seem a little too angelic throughout - maybe that's me being cynical but I found that a little hard to believe.
An interesting and easy to read nonfiction book that should be available to any student (middle, high) learning about WW2 and unsung heroes.
Living on the east coast, my educational experience focused on Europe and the holocaust during WW2. The only thing I knew about in the Pacific was Pearl Harbor and Hiroshima.
Last week President Obama gave medals (and also some posthumous awards)to several surviving WW2 veterans/heroes who were discriminated against because of their skin color. The final chapter of Pure Grit is devoted to the rehabilitation of the nurses from tropical diseases and starvation after their internment by the Japanese. Although recommended for medals of valor and special awards, very few were decorated. This may be an area where school children can attempt to make a difference in their world and advocate for recognition of those nurses who put themselves at risk for others.
Living on the east coast, my educational experience focused on Europe and the holocaust during WW2. The only thing I knew about in the Pacific was Pearl Harbor and Hiroshima.
Last week President Obama gave medals (and also some posthumous awards)to several surviving WW2 veterans/heroes who were discriminated against because of their skin color. The final chapter of Pure Grit is devoted to the rehabilitation of the nurses from tropical diseases and starvation after their internment by the Japanese. Although recommended for medals of valor and special awards, very few were decorated. This may be an area where school children can attempt to make a difference in their world and advocate for recognition of those nurses who put themselves at risk for others.
I often tend to think of books about military history as appealing mainly to male readers, but Pure Grit: How American World War II nurses survived battle and prison camp in the Pacific by Mary Cronk Farrell is a book that will have women hooked too. Full of photos and first hand-accounts, it tells the often harrowing story of the American nurses who were stationed in the Philippines during World War II.
In the years before the war, being an Army nurse in the Philippines meant wearing ballgowns to dinner and lazing by pools, but that all changed when the Japanese army bombed and invaded the country, eventually capturing and holding 69 nurses as prisoners of war. The author does a great job of showing the spirit of these nurses – the first American women to be in combat – even during horrific conditions.
Give this book to fans of Code Name Verity, Unbroken by Hillenbrand, or patrons who are interested in unique military or medical stories.
In the years before the war, being an Army nurse in the Philippines meant wearing ballgowns to dinner and lazing by pools, but that all changed when the Japanese army bombed and invaded the country, eventually capturing and holding 69 nurses as prisoners of war. The author does a great job of showing the spirit of these nurses – the first American women to be in combat – even during horrific conditions.
Give this book to fans of Code Name Verity, Unbroken by Hillenbrand, or patrons who are interested in unique military or medical stories.