Canary Girls by Jennifer Chiaverini

WWI has come and all over England boys and men are signing up for what they feel will be a quick war leaving women to fill in at the jobs they left open. At the same time factories are ramping up orders for machinery and munitions leaving the highest paying jobs and the most dangerous to the women. These same women are now supporting their family so these jobs were sought after. It was only later that the real dangers of ingesting TNT and other deadly powder as well as handling the very combustable bombs were realized. Hundreds of women took on a yellow hue and developed serious lung complications. On a side note, to relieve boredom and tension the women organized a football (soccer) league and played in the stadiums reserved for the men away at war. The author makes a statement about the sense of duty that demanded great sacrifices. These tough women in war developed intense friendships, support systems and took on tasks that proved just what they were capable of to themselves and the world at large. ​ 4 stars