A Mouthful of Rivets : Women at Work in World War II

Rating:
Summary: An Interesting Approach
Review: The authors of this book took an interesting approach to writing this historical book. It is written as an oral narrative of the women who lived and worked during World War II. Each chapter begins with some comments and clarifications from the authors describing a following short conversation from the women that they talked to in researching the book. These narratives were helpful with understanding what the women were talking about. "A Mouthful of Rivets" takes the reader from the beginning of World War II, until after the war ended and the women were faced with unemployment. The trials and tribulations each woman and her family faced were beautifully reconstructed in their own words. We learn what is was like for these young, courageous women to bravely enter a predominantely male work force; and we watch them suffer the humiliation of having to step aside from their jobs to go back to the kitchen once the soldiers returned from war. It was neat to read the stories that they had to tell. They were very compelling and put life in a different perspective from the way we live today. The reason that I only gave this book 3 stars was because it was a bit difficult for me to read. It took me awhile to muddle through the unfamiliar writing styles of these two authors because it doesn't read like a novel at all. Just as I was really getting into the story a woman was telling, the chapter was through and I was plunged into a different topic altogether. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in this period of time, but it does take some patience to adjust to this form of writing.