Women of the Post: A Historical Novel Based on the True Story of the 6888th―the Only All-Black, All-Female Army Battalion to Serve in Europe in WWII - Softcover

Sanders, Joshunda

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0778334074 ISBN 13: 9780778334071

Publisher: Park Row, 2023

Synopsis

"This is a novel to cherish and share. And this is a history to sing about and affirm -- to proclaim.”
— Honorée Fanonne Jeffers, New York Times Bestselling author of The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois, an Oprah Book Club Novel

Inspired by true events, Women of the Post brings to life the heroines who proudly served in the all-Black 6888th Battalion during World War II, finding purpose in their mission and lifelong friendship.

1944, New York City. Judy Washington is tired of having to work at the Bronx Slave Market, cleaning white women’s houses for next to nothing. She dreams of a bigger life, but with her husband fighting overseas, it’s up to her and her mother to earn enough for food and rent. When she’s recruited to join the Women’s Army Corps—offering a steady paycheck and the chance to see the world—Judy jumps at the opportunity.

During training, Judy becomes fast friends with the other women in her unit—Stacy, Bernadette and Mary Alyce—who all come from different cities and circumstances. Under Second Officer Charity Adams's leadership, they receive orders to sort over one million pieces of mail in England, becoming the only unit of Black women to serve overseas during WWII.

The women work diligently, knowing that they're reuniting soldiers with their loved ones through their letters. However, their work becomes personal when Mary Alyce discovers a backlogged letter addressed to Judy. Told through the alternating perspectives of Judy, Charity and Mary Alyce, Women of the Post is an unforgettable story of perseverance, female friendship and self-discovery.

"A moving and compelling tribute to the lives and legacy of Black women in the American military during World War II that feels especially poignant in this moment." — The Boston Globe

About this title

About the Author

Joshunda Sanders is an award-winning author, journalist and speechwriter. A former Obama Administration political appointee, her fiction, essays and poetry have appeared in dozens of anthologies. She has been awarded residencies and fellowships at Hedgebrook, Lambda Literary, The Key West Literary Seminars and the Martha’s Vineyard Institute for Creative Writing. Women of the Post is her first novel.

Edition details

• Publisher: Park Row
• Publication date: 2023
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0778334074
• ISBN 13: 9780778334071
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 368