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A Thousand Sisters
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2019
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Publishers Weekly Review
In this engrossing account, Wein (The Pearl Thief) introduces three Soviet regiments of female combat pilots during WWII. The chapters cover the ambitions, training, daily life, horrors, and successes of the "thousand sisters" who volunteered to join their commander, Marina Raskova, for this perilous work. The opening sections about Raskova's rise to prominence are particularly well-written and include helpful background on the Soviet Union's formation, Stalin, and the 1930s, as well as the 1938 flight of the Rodina, which made Raskova a household name. Once the regiments disperse to separate locations, each with a different mission and type of aircraft, the narrative becomes trickier to manage. Wein successfully reminds readers of locations and who's who, but some of the later chapters suffer from name overload. Still, readers will be impressed by her clear, casual style and her affecting introduction to these courageous, determined pilots, mechanics, and navigators. Insets provide information on side subjects, such as radar vs. radio and female pilots in the U.S. and Britain. Abundant archival photos, a bibliography, and source notes support the story. Ages 13-up. (Jan.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
School Library Journal Review
Gr 9 Up-From Wein, author of Code Name Verity, comes a nonfiction account of the women pilots of the Soviet Union. Starting prior to World War II, Wein describes how aviation became a hobby and passion for many young women in the Soviet Union. When World War II started, life under the Soviet system meant women could serve as pilots, theoretically equal to men, in the war effort. Wein provides a meticulously detailed account of Marina Raskova's Aviation Regiments: the 586th Fighter Aviation Regiment, the 587th Bomber Aviation Regiment, and the 588th Night Bomber Aviation Regiment. These three were largely staffed with women volunteers and fought on the frontlines of the war. The author provides an intimate look at the pilots' lives, both personal and military, as they work to defeat the Nazis. Likewise, Wein does not shy away from describing the difficult and often terrifying aspects of living under Stalin, including descriptions of man-made famines and the Great Purge. Some readers may have difficulty keeping track of all of the figures, but Raskova often acts as an anchor to assist readers in following the numerous and complex accounts. VERDICT Recommend this richly detailed work of nonfiction to fans of Monica Hesse and Wein's historical fiction.-Kaetlyn Phillips, Yorkton, Sask. © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Summary

Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults Finalist!

The gripping true story of the only women to fly in combat in World War II-from Elizabeth Wein, award-winning author of Code Name Verity

In the early years of World War II, Josef Stalin issued an order that made the Soviet Union the first country in the world to allow female pilots to fly in combat. Led by Marina Raskova, these three regiments, including the 588th Night Bomber Regiment-nicknamed the "night witches"-faced intense pressure and obstacles both in the sky and on the ground. Some of these young women perished in flames. Many of them were in their teens when they went to war.

This is the story of Raskova's three regiments, women who enlisted and were deployed on the front lines of battle as navigators, pilots, and mechanics. It is the story of a thousand young women who wanted to take flight to defend their country, and the woman who brought them together in the sky.

Packed with black-and-white photographs, fascinating sidebars, and thoroughly researched details, A Thousand Sisters is the inspiring true story of a group of women who set out to change the world, and the sisterhood they formed even amid the destruction of war.

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