Good Night Irene by Luis Alberto Urrea

​Another stunning example of bravery and compassion by invisible women serving their country in WWII.  Irene escapes what she sees as a future of torment when she leaves an abusive fiancee behind and signs up with the Red Cross headed to Europe.  She and her partners in grime serve coffee, donuts and a kind word to servicemen at bases.  Whether it is at an airbase or the Battle of the Bulge these "Donut Dollies" were the last friendly face before going into battle as well as a sympathetic smile and donut as they survived another day.  Irene teams up with no nonsense Dorothy to form an unbreakable sisterhood keeping each other calm and alive through countless near misses.  With a few laughs, a love affair and more than enough pain and suffering, these ladies witness the aftermath of D-Day, the Battle of the Bulge and the liberation of Buchenwald and life postwar. Perfectly crafted in vivid detail and emotional weight this is a story close to the author's heart.  His mom operated a Red Cross clubmobile. My hope is that it will be optioned for a movie as I can picture Dorothy driving her RV clubmobile one tire ahead of German Panzers and countless potholes in bombed out country roads.  This will be a favorite of all WWII historical readers especially those of Kate Quinn, ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE and EVERYONE BRAVE IS FORGIVEN.   4 1/2 stars