Radar Girls Sara Ackerman

 ...from the publisher...

An extraordinary story inspired by the real Women’s Air Raid Defense, where an unlikely recruit and her sisters-in-arms forge their place in WWII history.

Daisy Wilder prefers the company of horses to people, bare feet and salt water to high heels and society parties. Then, in the dizzying aftermath of the attack on Pearl Harbor, Daisy enlists in a top secret program, replacing male soldiers in a war zone for the first time. Under fear of imminent invasion, the WARDs guide pilots into blacked-out airstrips and track unidentified planes across Pacific skies.  

But not everyone thinks the women are up to the job, and the new recruits must rise above their differences and work side by side despite the resistance and heartache they meet along the way. With America’s future on the line, Daisy is determined to prove herself worthy. And with the man she’s falling for out on the front lines, she cannot fail. From radar towers on remote mountaintops to flooded bomb shelters, she’ll need her new team when the stakes are highest. Because the most important battles are fought—and won—together.

This inspiring and uplifting tale of pioneering, unsung heroines vividly transports the reader to wartime Hawaii, where one woman’s call to duty leads her to find courage, strength and sisterhood. 

...my thoughts...

What an incredible story! I had the pleasure of listening to Red Sky Over Hawaii, by Sara Ackerman at the same time I was reading Radar Girls.  Two very good books about WWII set in Hawaii.

Radar Girls is the story of the brave women who stepped into the roles vacated by the men who left to fight in WWII.  The training was intense and it took a lot of courage and skill to guide the pilots home under trying the most trying circumstances.  The research for this book was impeccable and the author has you on the edge of your chair as the Rascal calculates distance, altitude and weather conditions for the safe return of pilots who were nearly lost to sea.  The brave WARDs were an unknown entity in the beginning and came to earn the respect and admiration of men who thought the women were treading into a man's world.

The story takes on several turns, for it wouldn't be a good story without the personal stories of romance, coming of age, sorrow and loss mixed in with a devastating war.  I encourage anyone who enjoys a well written war romance to pick up a copy of Radar Girls.  What an amazing role in our history these unforgettable women shared.