Women of Valor: The Rochambelles on the WWII Front

Women of Valor tells the extraordinary story of the Rochambelles, the only women's unit to serve on the front lines of World War II. Some of them had been proper young ladies stranded abroad by the German invasion of France; others had scaled the Pyrénées by night to escape the Nazi occupation. All of them had a deep desire to help liberate their nation, and if they couldn't fight, driving an ambulance would have to do. Organized in New York by a wealthy American widow determined to create an all-female ambulance corps, they served with unflinching courage--saving soldiers from burning camps, dodging bombs, bullets, and mines, and even talking their way out of German hands. With colorful, brave characters and fierce battle scenes, Women of Valor is both a gripping and delightful read.

Ellen Hampton is a journalist who has covered Latin American politics, economics, and the wars in Nicaragua and El Salvador for Cox Newspapers. She is currently resident director for the City University of New York's Paris exchange program. She lives in Medan, France.