I loved the opening line of Luis Urrea's Goodnight Irene: "Then Irene Woodward escaped New York and went to war." I was hooked big-time, and it only got better in the next paragraph: " It was the beginning of October 1943. Irene was twenty-five. She tucked her official letter of acceptance in her pocketbook. She had never volunteered for…
I loved the opening line of Luis Urrea's Goodnight Irene: "Then Irene Woodward escaped New York and went to war." I was hooked big-time, and it only got better in the next paragraph: " It was the beginning of October 1943. Irene was twenty-five. She tucked her official letter of acceptance in her pocketbook. She had never volunteered for anything in her life. Along with her letter, her bag held directions on reporting for duty once she got to Washington, her hotel reservation, and her appointment for a physical examination and inoculations at the Pentagon. The War Department had not paid for her train ticket. Nor had the Red Cross. Some of her papers were stamped SECRET. They were hidden at the bottom of her shoulder bag, which rode atop her suitcase, secured by buckled straps. She felt dangerous and at large. No one knew she had signed up, and she had left when nobody was looking. The empress of getaways."
I loved the opening line of Luis Urrea's Goodnight Irene: "Then Irene Woodward escaped New York and went to war." I was hooked big-time, and it only got better in the next paragraph: " It was the beginning of October 1943. Irene was twenty-five. She tucked her official letter of acceptance in her pocketbook. She had never volunteered for anything in her life. Along with her letter, her bag held directions on reporting for duty once she got to Washington, her hotel reservation, and her appointment for a physical examination and inoculations at the Pentagon. The War Department had not paid for her train ticket. Nor had the Red Cross. Some of her papers were stamped SECRET. They were hidden at the bottom of her shoulder bag, which rode atop her suitcase, secured by buckled straps. She felt dangerous and at large. No one knew she had signed up, and she had left when nobody was looking. The empress of getaways."
"The empress of getaways"!!!! I love this. That is the line that called to me and suggested adding this book to my TBR list. Thank you, Jen!