Dancing In Combat Boots And Other Stories Of American Women In World War II

by Teresa R. Funke

When the going got tough during World War II, America's women got going. By the millions, housewives and mothers took off their aprons and stepped into factories, offices, hospitals-anywhere capable hands were needed to replace those of the husbands and sons now battling overseas. The eleven fictional stories in this remarkable collection are based on real women whose experiences were at once typical and extraordinary. Irene bucks rivets in an aircraft factory while Doris learns to pilot military planes. Marjorie survives the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor while Jean spends three years under guard in a Japanese internment camp. Lucy joins the segregated Women's Army Corp and Kathryn joins the Red Cross-shipping off to the front lines where she dances in combat boots with American GIs. From the topsy-turvy days following Pearl Harbor, through four long years of hardship, to the post-war campaigns to put women back in their place, these stories reveal the many facets of women's lives as they gave their all for the war effort.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Short Stories, Book Club, World War II

184 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2007

About the author

Teresa R. Funke is the author of "Bursts of Brilliance for a Creative Life," a highly regarded collection of her postings from her popular blog of the same name. She is also the author of seven novels for adults and children about World War II including "Remember Wake," "Dancing in Combat Boots," and the Home-Front Heroes Series.

Teresa's short stories, articles, and essays have appeared in numerous magazines, newspapers, and anthologies. Two of her essays were listed as Notable Essays by the prestigious Best American Essays series.

She is a sought-after speaker and consultant and works with organizations, schools, and non-profits to promote the arts, literacy, and history education.

Reviews

[Tara Chevrestt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of these short stories really impacted me such as the Japanese woman experiencing love in one of the Japanese internment camps, the African American wondering why they are all fighting the same war but still separated in the diners, and the woman worried about her husband after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Others, however, didn't impact me at all, like the chicks dancing in combat boots. And some stories felt like teasers.. You would get to know the woman, her background.. you would start to like her and get curious and then.. the story would be over.

Worth buying though for those three I mentioned above.

[Alexa Orr · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Dancing in Combat Boots" is an incredible read for a woman of any age. Whether it is a mother or grandmother reading the stories of the heroic women during World War II to a child, or a young adult like myself reading these stories in my free time-- this book is phenomenal. Each story holds intricate details and engaging stories that draw the reader in. After reading this book, one will understand that while there were plentiful male heroes during this time, there were women persevering and overcoming incredible struggles at the same time. Teresa Funke is an amazingly gifted author with a unique talent to bring history to life.

[Krista · Rating 1 out of 5]

I love the idea of this book, but the actual book, not so much. Each chapter is the story of what different women contributed to the war effort. However, the stories just touch the surface of what should be told that you are left confused, feeling like you missed something.

[Mackay · Rating 1 out of 5]

Superficial? I don't feel as if I'm back in WW II; I feel as if the author did great reseach but didn't find the soul of the times.
Also, some grammatical errors put me off

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

Possibly my favorite of my sister's books. I enjoyed the short stories as well as reading about the real people at the end.

Recommended.......

[Gail DiVico · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book I've read by this author. I read it from cover to cover in one day and found myself looking for more! The stories from these women who experienced World War II first hand are amazing and allowed me to see through their eyes what they experienced as Red Cross Workers, Pow's in Japanese internment camps and factory workers. I learned so much more than what
I've read in history books. More importantly, I realize now how much women had given to the war effort. The end of the book featured a follow-up regarding what each of these fascinating women did with their lives. This is a wonderful book, a great learning experience, and I highly recommend to all. Looking forward to reading WAKE ISLAND! A Big thank you to Teresa Funke for bringing their stories to the public.

[Mary Louise Sanchez · Rating 4 out of 5]

These are short stories told from the perspective of different women during WWII. I appreciated that the author told an Hispanic and Japanese American woman's viewpoint. Also, the author's research added those historical tidbit details that made the stories shine.

I hope the author will consider writing some of the women's stories in a longer version.

[Shauna Ludlow Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although this book was written for young readers, I enjoyed it. It had eleven short biographical chapters about real women who served in WWII (they were fictionalized for the book). I learned a lot and wanted to learn more about these strong women.

Great book to read in Hawaii after visiting Pearl Harbor.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love books that teach unexpectedly. From these stories about WWII women, I discovered perspectives I'd never considered and became aware of historical facts that, somehow in my 70-year reading life, I'd missed. Pure gold!

[Kim Kastler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great little factionalized stories of women involved in WW2. I enjoyed the storytelling and the characters.

[Cara Meredith · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun book that highlights the ordinary-extraordinary women of WWII. Interesting take to make non-fiction fictionalized.

[Hulananni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quick read. Interesting for those who knew some of these women during WWII.
Recommend this for young women who think life is so tough these days.

[Mary Strand · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simple, heartwarming stories from WWII from the perspective of different women.

[Meg · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. Although the stories themselves are fiction, they are based on Teresa's interviews with women who experienced WWII and they bring life to the history.

[Rheal · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads and was very pleased. Dancing in Combat Boots isn't the type of book that I usually seek out but I am so glad that I read it.

The stories focus on women in different situation during WWII. Although the stories themselves are fiction, they are based on actual accounts of people that the author interviewed. I really enjoyed how accessible the material is; it felt like listening to my grandparents tell stories from their childhoods.

Because of the length of the stories (relatively short) and the easy to read writing, I found Dancing in Combat Boots to be a great filler book. I read it on the subway, waiting in the car dealership, or when I had any short break. Plus it's a small book the easily fit in my purse.

Overall I recommend this book especially for people who enjoy historical fiction, short stories, or learning about diverse experiences of women. Dancing in Combat Boots is a pleasantly easy read; I look forward to checking out other work by Teresa Funke.

[MBenzz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this little collection of stories. They were a bit shorter than I expected, but fascinating nonetheless. These stories are about real women that the author interviewed years ago. She may have changed their names or locations, but these women existed.

One was woken early one morning to the unspeakable horror that was the bombing of Pearl Harbor, one American born Japanese woman was forced to spend the war in various detention camps with her family. Another flew planes as a WASP, while yet another served with the Red Cross helping to bring just a little bit of joy to the war-weary soldiers.

I was glad the author included an epilogue at the end with little blurbs about each woman to let us know what become of them. I love reading WWII stories told from the womens point of view, and this one was done very well. My first time reading this author, but definitely not my last. Great book!

[Teri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dancing in Combat Boots is one of Teresa R. Funke's adult center books. This is a series of short stories about women living during World War II and how the war has affected their lives. From women in WAC, serving in Red Cross, a wife stationed with her husband at Pearl Harbor to a Japanese American woman and her family interred at Camp Amache Relocation Camp, these stories let the read live out the war through their eyes. Based on real people and situations, Dancing in Combat Boots leaves an indelible mark on the reader's mind.

[Kara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book, very quick read. When I bought it I thought it was non-fiction, but as I read the back cover I saw that it was fiction based on real women. I was really disappointed, since I wanted it to be real stories. But after I read it, it was really great. She really got a nice feel for what these women were going through at that time. I even got teared up at a few points in the different stories.

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Received from Goodreads-first-reads
Stories of women who persevered through WWII. Fiction, but based on stories of real women that fought a war of their own. Inspiring stories of the contributions to the war effort that required hard work, sacrifice and many a sleepless night. Grateful for the hardships they faced and conquered, as it led to the evolution of women's roles in the home and workplace that we take for granted today. This would make a great book club read!

[Cptaylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book through First Reads and I really appreciated the inscription by the author and the postcards she included.

The short stories were very inspiring and I wish she had written more about many of the women. I loved that the stories are based on real women and I enjoyed the updates at the end of the book about the women who inspired each story.

[Tamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful short stories about women during WWII! I just wished that the stories were longer.
All stories based on events in real women's lives that the author personally interviewed (little bits on each in the back of the book)....
Truly amazing!

[Rhonda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This a book that I won in the Goodreads giveaways. I really enjoyed these short stories about the lives of women during WW II. My father was in that war so it was a chance to get an idea of what the war was like. It's a quick read and if you are interested in WW II you will enjoy it.

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

These glimpses into the lives of women during WWII were touching. I was happy to know that the stories were based on real life events. I was very glad that the epilogue contained brief descriptions of the women who inspired the stories and characters.

[Donna Kubiak · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice short read...don't understand why the author fictionalized it, though.

[Jessie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed it. It combinds Ww2 history with women's history.

[Elizabeth Holtsclaw · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fascinating topic and well written book. The only reason for my 3 stars is that I'm a greedy reader and I think in general I don't care for short stories. I'm always left wanting more ....

[Jeni · Rating 3 out of 5]

Made me think of my Granny and led to her relaying a story about her "war widows retreat" on the banks of the Scioto River and trying to carry cases of wine down the hill!

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great for the younger generation to know how young women sacrificed for our country. I have heard the author speak.

[Marguerite · Rating 5 out of 5]

First Reads Winner. I enjoyed this book very much and was very happy to win. Love the Womens' Army Air Corps and all that they did in WWII. Highly recommend.